Stormy Dreams
by Game Gal
Summary: Chapter 24 is UPLOADED! R&R! Now that Gohan has figured out the cause of Videl's problems, can he help her over come them? Are they in the clear or is there danger lurking ahead? What new surprises are to come to our new couple? read and find out!
1. The Dream

"Talking" and 'thinking'  
  
Author: This is my first story I've ever written so if you have any suggestions that I could improve I'd love to hear them! So don't flame me too, too bad cause I'm still a beginner! Thanks!  
Chapter 1 The Dream  
  
A 10-year-old Videl was walking home from school. It was a warm spring day and Videl couldn't wait to get home so she could have some of her moms great cooking. Videl sped up her walking a bit so she could get home faster and see her family. All of a sudden it started to get very dark. Not the night time dark but very dark for the daytime. She didn't know why but she started to make a mad dash for her house. When she arrived she expected to smell her mothers delicious cooking. She didn't expect to see her dad because he was at work. She called out to her mother once and then again. It seemed oddly strange that it was dark inside. She didn't know why but she felt some force pulling her to her room. She looked around her room and everything seemed fine, but then she saw her toy box. She went to her toy box and saw a thick red liquid dripping on her carpet; the trail of this red substance was coming from inside her toy box. She gathered up all her courage and opened the toy box. There in all her glory was Videl's mother lying in a pool of her own blood on top of all her favourite toys.  
  
Videl woke up screaming. Once she gathered her wits together she realized that she was in her room. She also realizes that she had broken out in a cold sweat.  
  
"It was just a dream." She told her self and tried to steady her breathing. "Mom wasn't murdered, she died naturally.didn't she?  
  
' Even if she was murdered who would do that to her? The only one who could of possible been home who had a key to the house was my dad, but he would never' She caught herself in that thought as she remembered the beating she had received not more then a couple hours ago.  
  
She decided that she would try sleep for another few hours, but anytime she closed her eyes pictures of her mother laying in her old toy box would flash each one more gruesome then the last.  
  
'Well I'm not going to get any more sleep so I might as well clean up from dads last beating' Videl said to herself.  
  
Videl went into her bathroom turned her shower on as hot as it would go. She striped out of her pj's and stepped into the shower. She let out a sigh then winced when the hot water hit her open wounds. Then she started thinking, 'he's never left a mark on me that I couldn't cover up with pants or a long shirt, how can anyone miss this black mark on my face? I guess I could just tell them it was in my line of work, yeah that'll work, but I don't think it will work on Gohan. He's so protective, you'd think we were dating or something! ~*Sigh*~ I wish!' "Get a gripe Videl, someone like Gohan will never like you as more then a friend, he will never go out with someone like me. So stop fucking wishing it!" she scolded her self.  
  
After a long shower she felt a little better because she had cleaned up her cuts. She wrapped her hair in a towel then wrapped her small figure up in a fluffy white towel. She walked out of her bathroom and made sure her bedroom door was locked. She went to her drawer and got out some jeans and a black turtleneck. She brushed her hair and left it down to cover up a little bit of her bruise. She gathered up her things for school and walked down stairs. She walked into a kitchen grabbed a bagel that the cook had already prepared for her. She put on her coat, because it was in the middle of December and, took off for school. She walked outside and was met with a cold blast of winter. The strong wind froze videl head to toe. As she was walking it started to snow lightly. "This is gonna be a long day, I can tell right now!"  
Well please review and tell me what ya think! Thanks! 


	2. Confrontation

Author: Hi sorry I haven't posted in a bit. One I lost what I had written for chapter two so I'm about to make it all up as I god along and two it was my birthday on the 12th and I had to clean up so I could have people over! Well this is completely off the top of my head for this chapter so if it sounds really bad I'm so sorry!! Well if you guys have any ideas I'd love to hear them! Thanks! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 2 Confrontation  
  
As videl walked down the street she started to enjoy the cool crisp winter air. She loved the way it was lightly snowing, the way all the stores had Christmas decorations in the windows and most of the people were in the spirit of the holiday. She looked at her watch and saw it was 8:00am so she picked up her pace so she could be at school to talk for a while. Even though school starts at 8:30 she still liked being early to see her friend early, one in particular.  
  
Videl arrived at school 10 minutes later. She walked in and started feeling around with her senses to find Gohan. 'Hmmmm in the auditorium. I wonder what he's doing in there?' As she walked closer she heard Gohan and some other woman who had a sort of monotone voice.  
  
"Thanks 18 I just wanted a females opinion about this. It took me forever to find! Do you think she'll like it?" Gohan asked 18. "Don't worry kid I know she'll like it. Anyways I gotta go I left Marron alone with that old pervert and I really don't like him watching her." "Ok! Thanks 18! See you next week!" Videl waited for 18 to leave through the doors but when she never came she walked in. She saw Gohan standing on the stage with his usual big goofy grin on his face. "Hey Videl!" he called out to her. "Hi Gohan!" As she got closer to Gohan his usually happy go lucky grin went away and was placed with a look of pure concern. "Oh my God! Videl what happened to your face?" He asked as he gingerly fingered the dark purple mark on her left cheek. "Nothing I'm just ummm tired!" "Ya I can see that too I mean the big bruise on your face? What happened?" "I got it while stopping some bank robbers no biggie!" she lied to him. "You were stopping bank robbers? Why didn't I know? You and me have a direct link so sayiman would have know about it." Gohan asked now looking both confused and worried. 'Damn I forgot about that. Quick think of something fast!!' "I umm. well you see it goes like this-" She was cut off as the bell rang meaning her and Gohan had to go to English now. 'Phew! That was too close for comfort. He's gonna figured it out soon!' Gohan quickly grabbed her arm gently as if he knew there was a bruise under the shirt "Come on were gonna be late!"  
  
During English Videl ended up falling asleep. The class ended sooner then usual so everyone left and Gohan decided now he should wake up videl. "Videl I'm really sorry to wake you up but we have to go to math now! We have lunch soon you can sleep then!" All of a sudden Videl let out a blood curdling scream."Nooooooooo! Mom wake up!" The scream made gohan jump almost 10 ft then he realized that videl had woken up and was slightly shaking and was drenched with a cold sweat. "Videl! Videl are you ok? Answer me!" he asked as he grabbed her arms lightly shaking her. "Huh? Oh Hi Gohan is class over already? Boy time sure fly's when you're asleep! Thanks for covering for me! Lets get to math don't want to be late!" videl said too quickly. "Videl are you ok? You started screaming and said mom please wake up." Gohan asked his now fine friend. "Nothings wrong gohan! I'm just tired! Tell you what you can question me all you want later ok? Lets get to class!" And with that she was up and out of the classroom. 'Videl I don't know whats wrong with you but I promise I'll find out. You may not like it but I want to help!'  
  
Math passed fairly quickly for the two teens. Now it was lunch. Gohan and Videl walked to the cafeteria to eat their lunch. But Videl seemed to be walking a little slower then usual. "Videl are you sure your ok? You're walking kinda slow." Gohan asked. "I'm fine just a little tired. Now lets go before all the tables are take up". When the arrived all of the tables were taken up and both didn't really feel like looking for Sharpener and Erasa. Suddenly Gohan perked up "Hey Videl! Why don't we go and eat lunch at my place? It won't take us very long to fly there I'll just carry you." Before Videl could protest about flying on her own he continued "That way since your so tired you wont risk the chance of falling in the air and after we eat lunch you can lay on the couch or something and sleep for and hour and a half!" By the time Gohan stopped talking they were at the front doors of the school. "Well how about it. And I don't car what you say I'm taking you. You really look like you could use some sleep." "Ok. I'll come with you. But you gotta let me make it up to you sometime ok?" "Well figure that out later lets go!" Gohan gently scoped Videl up and zoomed off to his house. "Mom I'm home!" Gohan yelled as he placed videl down once they got inside of his house. "What are you doing home so early mister! You should be at.Videl! What happened to your face? You look terrible!" Chi Chi said as she now entered the hallway. "You know you guys are good at complimenting a girl?" Videl said in a sarcastic tone. Gohan Blushed then quickly said "I only mean you looked bad because you look tired and half your face is purple and you look like you sick cause you look so pale! But umm you look good with your hair down!" Gohan said quickly. "Never mind Gohan I was only joking" Videl said with a slight pink tint on her cheeks. Chi chi quickly said after that" Well come in and warm up! Let me get you guys some hot chocolate it must be freezing out there!" Suddenly Videl realized she forgot to grab a lunch 'Damn I forgot about that! Oh well I'll live'. As if picking up on this right away Gohan asked "Videl where's your lunch? I didn't see you grab it when we went to the lockers." Oh I forgot to grab one at home. Don't worry I'll live." She responded quickly. "Nonsense Videl! I'll make you some nice hot soup! Then your going to bed! You look like you have slept in days!" Chi chi said as she pushed her into the kitchen. After eating Gohan told her that she could take a quick nap in his room. She felt kinda werid sleeping in her best friend bed but agred after having the Big puppy dog eyes given to her. "Ok ok fine! I hate it when you do that! Its not fair you always get your way with that face." Videl complained. "Well it's a trick I taught Goten" Just as gohan got those words out of his mouth Goten rushed in with trunks and Bulma. "Hi Gohan, Chi and Videl.what happened to your face?" Bulma asked once she walked in. "Nothing I'm just tired" videl replied the same answer again that day. "But it looks like you." She trailed off as Gohan started shaking his head. "Come on videl lets get you comfortable" Gohan said as he started pushing her up stairs. They got to Gohan's room and videl went into Gohan's bed willingly because she was so tired. "Now you promise you'll wake me up in an hour right?" Videl asked. "We'll see." Gohan said as he left the room. The second he left videl was out like a light. 


	3. Wondering

Hi! Sorry I haven't written in awhile and sorry if it takes me awhile to update again I have exams in 2 weeks so I'm kinda in panic mood! But tell me what ya think and give me any ideas or feedback or ideas on how you think I can improve!  
  
Chapter 3: Wondering  
  
As Gohan walked down stairs he was racking his brain trying to figure out the meaning behind Videl's out burst at the end of English and why her face is purple. As Gohan reached the bottom of the stairs he heaved a huge sigh.  
  
"What's the matter Gohan? You look troubled, is something bothering you?" asked Chi Chi as she saw Gohan heave his sigh. "Sorta. Videls got me kinda confused, and I'm really worried about her. I mean today she shows up with a black eye and says she got it fighting bank robbers, but we have a direct link up so I would of known about it, so that's not it. And when we were in English she feel asleep, and at the end of the class when no one was in there I told her she had to wake up and she let out a terrible scream and said no mom wake up! And she won't tell me what's on her mind. She keeps dodging my questions". ' Videl I hope you'll tell me soon, I hope your ok'. At this point bulma decided to input her opinion. "Well obviously she's having dreams about her mother. Are her and Hercule divorced? Maybe she misses her because she hasn't seen her. And as for the black eye, that is sort of strange that she claims she got it in a bank robbery when you both would of known about it. So where's Videl's mother?" " From what Videls told me, she died when she was about 7 maybe 8. I just don't know how she died, Videl never told me that" "Gohan, Are you planning on going back to school today? Because I honestly don't think Videl she be going back she looks terrible" Chi chi asked. " If we could stay home that would be great, I was going to ask if we could stay home because I don't have the heart to wake her up".  
  
~*~Meanwhile Upstairs~*~  
  
Videl's heart raced. IT was the dream again, only more vivid and clear. Only she wasn't experiencing it, she was witnessing it. Before the part where she enters she saw something tall in her room with something over its shoulder. The tall man let out a grunt closed her toy chest and ran like a bat out of hell. The she saw her 7-year-old self and discover the body of her poor mother. Then all of a sudden things changed again. She says her mother in the kitchen with a small smile on her face and she was humming a song, like she usually did which cooking.  
  
'Where am I?' Videl asked her self as she saw her mother in the kitchen. Her eyes started to burn with unshed tears as she remembered her mother.  
  
The house looked like it was empty, then again mom liked giving the maids time off and said they should be forced to serve someone else, and that they were all created equal. Then all of a sudden things started to look grim, Videl got a feeling in her stomach that made her want to throw up and die. All of a sudden a man leapt out of the shadows and covered her mothers mouth. She saw her mother struggling, then she bit the mans hand, he threw out a long line of swear words. As her mother tried to run upstairs the man shot her leg and she collapsed. The man then grabbed a knife and dug it deep into her poor mothers back then he said the final words " Now you die".  
  
Videl again let out a glass-breaking scream that startled Gohan, Chi chi and Bulma. All jumped and ran upstairs to see what was the matter. The found Videl absolutely covered in sweat, it literally made her hair stick to her face and neck, and she looked ghostly pale then let out another scream.  
  
"Videl!!!! What's the matter wake up!!! Wake up damit it! Answer me!" Gohan said as he started to get really worried.  
  
"You bastard I can't- " she said as her eyes started to water through closed eyelids. Gohan was grabbing her arms by now trying to calm her down the she threw a punch and it landed on his jaw. 'She must be really upset, it usually doesn't hurt that much, I think it'll leave a bruise!' gohan though to himself.  
  
"Gohan try and talk to her" Bulma suggested. " Ya! Try and get her to listen to you and calm down!" Chi chi imputed.  
  
"Videl, listen to me! Its Gohan, your best friend I'm not going to hurt you just listen to me and calm down! Please clam down!" Gohan tried to reason with the tormented looking girl.  
  
" I-huh? Where am I?" Videl suddenly said jumping to her feet. She was facing the wrong way and didn't notice the 3 bystanders behind her. Videl suddenly started to panic "What if he's coming after me! Mom!" She started talking to her self.  
  
Gohan reached out and put a hand on her shoulder "Videl! Are you ok?!" Videl jumped a good 20 feet while screaming about some person and violent end. When she turned around she was met with 3 pairs of concerned eyes. "Gohan?" Videl questioned starting to remember her surroundings. "Videl are you ok? What's the matter?" Gohan question getting even more worried by the minute. "Nothing just a bad dream, no need to worry" videl replied in a not-so-convincing voice. "Videl, I've seen my share of bad dreams raising Gohan and Goten, but that was no bad dream u sounded like you were all out terrified!" Chi chi said finally speaking after seeing the whole thing take place. "Videl I agree you were screaming bloody murder care to talk about it?" Bulma asked with concern in her voice to. "I'm fine I just feel a little dizzy and light headed, and kinda cold" Videl said feeling a little sick. "Why don't you come down stairs and get something to eat and drink and relax a bit?" chi chi offered." Ok, I suppose I could" videl replied not sounding so good. " Videl I don't mean to sound rude but, you look really bad, you look like you're about to collapse! Are you feeling alright?" Gohan said noticing the very pale looking videl with a slight pink tint to her cheeks. "I feel fine don't worry" videl replied trying to sound convince but it didn't really work.  
  
All four got up and walked down stairs when they were at the bottom they heard a funny sounding cough. They turned around and there was videl looking spaced out then all of a sudden her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out.  
  
Wanna know what happened do videl??? Please read and review!!! 


	4. Thinking

Wow! Hehehe I'm sooo sorry it's taken me so long to update! But I'm gonna post now. I could also use a LITTLE more encouragement! So I get 6 reviews and I'll post again! So here chapter 4 of Stormy Dreams!  
  
~*Stormy Dreams*~  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"VIDEL!!" Gohan screamed as he just caught her before she hit the ground. " Videl? Videl are you ok?" Gohan questions the unconscious Videl.  
  
"Gohan, put her on the couch I'll get her a once over to see what's wrong with her. Chi can I borrow some of your things?" Bulma said going into doctor mode. Chi chi had already left to get the stuff that bulma had given her some time ago to help an injured Goku or Goten or Gohan. When she came back bulma was writing thins down that she wanted to check out and Gohan was hovering over Videl with concern clearly evident in his eyes.  
  
After 20 minutes of Bulma's assessing Videl Gohan finally perked up.  
  
"So what's wrong with her Bulma?"  
  
"Well from what I can tell is, she's sick. Its not that serious-"  
  
Gohan cut her off starting to get mad at his family friend. " Not serious? BUMLA!! She just collapsed! And you call that not serious? I think your getting a little odd in your old. " Gohan trailed off at the glare he was getting from Chi chi and bulma.  
  
Bulma gave one more glare at gohan. " As I was saying! It's not serious. She has a fever and will need to take medicine to bring it down. She just has a case of the flu". Bulma at that moment let out a very vegeta like smirk ' pay back kid. You call me old?' " So don't worry Gohan. Your girlfriend will be fine in a few days! I'm more concerned with those bruises. When I was checking her out, I discovered she has quite a dew of them on her. She has them on her stomach, thigh, legs, arms everywhere! Do you have any idea where she got them from?" Bluma once again smirked at the colour red Gohans face went.  
  
"Bulam! She's not my girlfriend! Just a friend! And what do you mean she has bruises on her? The only one I can see is on her face! .. I have no clue where she could be getting them from."  
  
Bulma not being one to be doubted decided t illustrates her point. She pulled the blanket off the sleeping Videl and lifted her Shirt till about her ribs.  
  
"Bulma! What are you doing!?" asked a very red gohan.  
  
Chi Chi giggled at her sons face then gasped in horror at videls stomach it was indeed bruised. Very badly. " Oh my gosh! How could she get something like that! Gohan! If you did this too her I swear I'm gonna kill you! You don't beat up your future wife!"  
  
Gohan let Chi chi's comment slide. He studied her abdomen. They looked fresh to him. " Bulma these looked like they happened not to long ago."  
  
"If I'd have to guys I would of said maybe yesterday at some point" bulma said as she pulled Videl's shirt down and put the blanket back over her noticing she was shivering slightly.  
  
Gohan walked over to his sleeping friend and knelt down/ He gently picked her up and hugged her. ' Videl I don't know what's going on. But I'm going to help you through it no matter what." Then looked at the door.  
  
Chi chi was about to question what her son was looking at then saw Goku, Goten and Trunks come bounding in the house. "Hey guys! How's it going? Gohan what are you doing home so early? You wanna come and make a snowman with us? Its great packing snow!"  
  
"No thanks dad I'm just gonna hang around in here for awhile." Gohan said in a worried tone.  
  
Goku being one to pick up one ones emotion quickly noticed there was a worried air about the room. Hey guys what's going on? Why does everyone look so worried? And. why is videl on the couch looking might I add whiter then usual?" Goku asked.  
  
Gohan sent Chi Chi a pleading look and told Goku about everything.  
  
Goku had a look of seriousness on his face and was racking his brain for something. " I bet it was. never mind" Goku decided he better not say. ' I bet my supper it was Hercule. Anyone who acts that showy has got to have a split personality' he thought, little knowing he was right.  
  
"You bet its who dad? Gohan asked looking at his dad with kind of an angry look and confused look. He wanted to know who his dad thought it was, and why he cut off all of a sudden.  
  
Goku sensing gohans anger decided he'd try to cover it up. " I bet it was that she isn't eating enough and she's tired because she doesn't have something like Chi chi cooking for her!" Goku gave a smile then left the house. Leaving everyone with sweat drops on their heads  
  
'Phew that was too close for comfort!  
  
Well there's chapter 4! Give me 6 reviews and I give you chapter 5!! Thanks! 


	5. Bad Feeling

Hey everyone!! Yeah yeah I know I have posted in a while sorry! Well this is chapter 5 I haven't updated any of my stories for a long time so I hope I haven't lost my touch. Oh and I tired to make it longer to make up for not updating in awhile. Hope you enjoy it! Anyways, lets get on with it!  
  
Stormy Dreams  
  
Chapter 5  
  
'Thinking'  
  
"Talking"   
  
Gohans looked at his dads retreating figure and sighed. He looked back down at Videl and sat down at the end of the couch where she was laying. The couch would have been a little small if Gohan was laying on it all the way, but Videl was pretty tiny and short. He looked back up at Bulma  
  
"So what are we going to do?" Gohan asked sounding almost defeated.  
  
"Well maybe after I inject some medicine into her you can take her home, I didn't hear anything in the news today so I'm pretty sure Hercules is at home" Bulma said getting a needle out. There was no use in trying to get her to swallow a pill since she was out cold so she injected it in her arm and walked back to Chi Chi.  
  
"Alright, I guess I'll take her home." Gohan walked over to the couch. " Hey mom can you pass me Videls coat please?" When he got her coat he propped her up and put her coat on then got her shoes and put them on. He gently picked Videl up mindful of her bruises. "Ok mom, I'm off I'll be back in a bit ok? Do you need me to pick anything up?" Gohan asked standing in front of the door.  
  
" Ummm... Do you think you can pick up 6 dozen eggs for me?" Chi chi said walking out from the kitchen.  
  
"Sure no problem. Bye!" Gohan said and was off out of the door.  
  
While Gohan was flying he was looking down at Videl. ' I hope she feels better soon. I hate seeing her look like this. I miss the uh... alive looking Videl'  
  
Gohan arrived at Videls house and knocked on the door.  
  
"God Damn it, god forbid I relax and not answer the stupid door"  
  
'Wow! Someone's not in a good mood today." Gohan thought hearing the grumbling from the other side of the door.  
  
Hercule opened the door, not looking too happy. " What do you want?" he questioned Gohan.  
  
"Oh! Well you see I'm Videls friend and she wasn't feeling too well so I thought she should come home" Gohan replied a little surprised at Hercule. He wasn't expecting that.  
  
Hercules gave Gohan a dirty look then opened to door. " Yeah just place it on the couch and you can leave."  
  
Gohan brought Videl in then thought for a second. 'Did he just call Videl it?' Gohan placed Videl on the couch gently and quickly gave her a kiss on the forehead and whispered feel better soon. He stood up and walked out the door. " Oh By the way she-" Gohan was cut off by Hercule slamming the door in Gohans face.  
  
Gohan made a face " Well that was pretty rude! Wonder what crawled up his butt and died? I'm almost positive he called Videl 'It'. But he's her father why would he do something like that?" Gohan started walking up to the store to pick up the eggs  
  
Meanwhile  
  
"Videl! Wake up Now! Quit sleeping. I'm not falling for this stupid act. I know you're not sick your faking it so you wont has to go to school. Well I'm not as dumb as you think. Get your ass up now!" Hercule yelled while pushing her off he couch.  
  
Videl felt herself being pushed roughly off the couch. She as she was falling she smacked her lip on the table cutting it open. She winced in pain. And used all her strength to get up.  
  
"What is it dad?" she asked trying to sound calm; to try and avoid his fists this time.  
  
"Don't pull that shit with me. Get the hell up to your room. Wait first; I want you to run 15 laps in my gym. This will teach you to skip school and pretend to be sick," Hercule yelled.  
  
Videl would have objected but decided against it. As she walked to the gym she changed her out fit into shorts and a t-shirt then went to get water but was told her father wouldn't allow her until she was done running.  
  
Videl decided she should try and keep a semi quick pace so her dad wouldn't get mad at her. But after she had finished one lap she felt her chest get heavy and felt very feverish. But she kept on running. After she had run 7 laps she thought she was going to pass out her legs were shaking her head was spinning and she felt her fever still coming with full force. She somehow managed to run 3 more laps then she collapsed. Wouldn't luck have it, that's when Hercule decided to stop in.  
  
"And just what the hell do you think your doing? The computer says you only ran 10 laps! I said 15! Not only are you worthless but your pathetic to boot." Hercule said as he kicked the side of her knee hard. He left her on the ground then walked off turning the lights off and closing the door while going.  
  
Videl could feel her self-losing consciousness. But she didn't mind she was sore and felt really crappy. She sent a silent prayer to heaven that someone helps her soon and with that welcomed darkness.  
  
Back to the grocery Store  
  
"Here you go sweetie," The cashier lady said to Gohan in a flirtatious voice and giving him a wink.  
  
"Thanks and have a nice day!" Gohan said completely oblivious to that cashier lady's flirting attempts, leaving her in a huff.  
  
When Gohan walked outside he stopped. He got a feeling that something bad was happening. To someone he loved. He didn't know who but it felt like something bad. He decided to fly home at super speed.  
  
While flying he started talking to himself. " I don't get it. Who could it be that I have this bad feeling about. It couldn't be mom, dad and Goten are there and it feels like Bulma, Vegeta and Trunks are over again for supper so it couldn't be any of them. Krillian could handle him self and if he couldn't 18 could, and we would have known if something was going on with them" Gohan finished that remark as he walked in his house.  
  
"Hey Gohan! What's up?" Asked a happy Goku.  
  
"Hi, um nothing really" Gohan said still racking his brain.  
  
"Gohan what's the matter? You sound distracted." Goku questioned  
  
"Its just I have this feeling that something bad is happening. To someone I love. But I can't figure out who. I mean you and Goten are here to protect mom. So it's none of you guys. Vegeta and Trunks are also here so Bulma is safe. And if Krillian or 18 were in trouble we would have known by now. That's everyone accounted for but I can't shake the feeling" Gohan explained still thinking.  
  
"Yeah that's almost everyone accounted for. Hey by the way, where's Videl now?" Goku asked as if leading somewhere.  
  
"I took her home, she's probably in bed resting" Gohan said sounding a little nervous, wondering where his dad was going with this.  
  
"Well to settle your mind. Why not just for curiosity sake, go and see how she's doing? Goku suggested.  
  
"Yeah ok. This way when I see she's fine maybe it will put my mind to rest. Ok I'm going out again give these eggs to mom and tell her I'll be back in awhile again." Gohan said handing his father the 6 -dozen eggs then flying off at top speed.  
  
Goku stood at the door smiling and waving. Then closed the door because he started to get chilly. He walked into the kitchen where Chi chi and Bulma was busy with supper while Vegeta was trying to get something to eat.  
  
"Hey Chi? Bulma?" Goku said surprising them and catching Vegetas attention  
  
"Yeah?" they both responded.  
  
"I think that you guys should get ready to help someone out medically Bulma. And Chi I think we may have another mouth here." With that Goku walked off to find Trunks and Goten.  
  
"What was that all about?" A confused Bulma questioned.  
  
Vegeta finally spoke up. "I think Kakarot might be right and your assistance will be needed woman. He as talking about his older brats girl friend" Vegeta said while grabbing some vegetables, and walked out of the room to watch TV.  
  
Back To Gohan  
  
Gohan flew at top speed he could see Videls house coming up closer. He stopped and landed on her bedroom balcony. He walked over to it and knocked lightly then turned the handle and noticed it was unlocked. Now that was not like Videl at all! Gohan walked in and looked at her bed and saw the no one have even slept in it since it had been made. He walked over to her bathroom and it was also empty.  
  
'The only other place I could think of where she might be is the gym, but if she were feeling crummy why would she go there? I certainly wouldn't' Gohan thought as he left her room and used his dads old teleporting technique to take him to the gym. When Gohan got there he noticed it was pitch black! He felt around for a light but tripped over something heavy. He felt around the wall again.  
  
"Ah ha! I found it!" he switched on the light switch. He looked around 'Oh my god!' Gohan said to him self as he saw what looked like Videl laying on the indoor track. He ran over and saw it was indeed Videl. He propped her up gently against him.  
  
"Hey Videl wake up. Come on wake up its me Gohan." Gohan tried coaxing her to wakeup but to no avail. He noticed her bottom lip was swollen and bleeding. And she was in shorts! And her knee looked a little swollen too. He wiped some of the blood off her lip with his finger and laid her back down again. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her so she would keep warm. He picked her up once again and teleported again. 'I don't know why I didn't think of that in the first place' Gohan thought as he teleported.  
  
Goku was outside hanging Christmas light when out of nowhere Gohan pops up in front of him.  
  
" Ahhhhh! Gohan! Don't do that!" Goku yell in surprise.  
  
"Sorry. Dad I need your help something's happened to Videl and I don't know what." Gohan said clearly getting ready to panic.  
  
"Get her inside your moron" Vegeta said after witnessing the whole scaring Goku thing.  
  
Gohan ran in the house with Goku in toe and Vegeta walking calmly behind.  
  
"Mom! Bulma get in here quick!" Gohan yelled as he placed Videl on the couch again.  
  
"What is it Goha- Oh My god what happened to her? Chi Chi said now entering the living room.  
  
"I don't know I found her like this on her indoor track." Gohan said still getting ready to go into panic mode.  
  
Bulma came over with her medical kit in hand "Step aside and let me work my magic!" she said pushing everyone out of her way. She stuck a thermometer in Videl's ear. It read 39.8 degrees. Well she has a very high fever. She noticed her lip was bleeding. "Her lip will be fine just a little swollen." She noticed she was also in shorts. She looked at her knee. " Now this will probably cause her a little bit of a problem. It looked like something hard, probably blunt hit her knee about here," she said as she pointed to a spot on her knee "Which is why it's pretty swollen". She examined her for a little longer then spoke about what she found.  
  
"Well to me it looks like she's severely exhausted something or someone must have worked her quite a bit. Her knee will also be fine, just swollen for a while. And she has a bad case of the flu it may turn into pneumonia so we'll keep a close eye on that. Chi can you pass me a wet clothe so I can clean up her lip? And Gohan can you pass me then needle in there, I'm hoping it will bring her fever down until she wakes up" Bulma said in doctor mode again.  
  
" N-nnn needle? Come on Bulma I think your being rough on her. Gohan don't do it for Videl's sake!" Goku pleaded, his fear of needles kicking in.  
  
Gohan rolled his eyes "Here you go Bulma" Gohan said as he passed Bulma the needle  
  
Gasp! "Gohan your heartless!" Goku said watching Bulma give Videl her needle. Everyone let out a laugh at Goku. Gohan would have laughed but he was too worried at the moment.  
  
After Bulma injected the needle Gohan picked Videl up carefully and put her in his bed then put the blankets on her so she was nice and warm.  
  
Gohan quickly went down stairs and ate something then came back up to his room with a wet cloth. He started dabbing it on her forehead to help with the sweating the fever was causing. After awhile he just left it on her forehead. He sat on the chair beside her. He started stroking her hair gently. "Videl please be ok. I'm going to take care of you until your a hundred percent again. Even if it takes 8 months I will stay with you," Gohan said now lying on the floor with his head right in front of hers sill stroking her hair. "I will protect you from now on. I promise" Gohan said he closed his eyes now getting sleepy. Videl still asleep let out a small weak smile.  
  
There ya go Chapter 5 Gimmie reviews tell me what you think and make suggestions!!!  
  
Later Dayz! 


	6. Broken Down

Look at this! 2 chapters in 3 days! I Better Start getting reviews! Cuz I haven't gotten any yet and I want some! Oh and yes I know there are a lot of Typos I'd just like to say I DO reread my work a couple of times, but my key board is kind of stupid so that's why like to might be t or and nd. Ok? I apologize for them and I do spell check people! I mean holy shit; I'm not perfect sorry for not meeting your standards, but you aren't perfect either. I will NOT change my context of writing just because people say to, I have done it a few times, and I cannot please all of you. And I wont apologize for my not suiting your standards. Wow didn't realize I have that much to say. And now that I'm done my rant, on with chapter 6!  
  
Chapter 6 Broken Down  
  
"Talking"  
  
'Thinking'  
  
Morning came sooner than Gohan would of hoped for. He woke up to find himself still on the floor but his head on the bed close to Videl's. His fingers were also intertwined with hers. Her back was to him so she had her arm around her and he had his arm around her.  
  
Gohan gently let go and felt her forehead. She still was burning up. Gohan walked to his bedroom door, took a glance back at Videl and walked down stairs.  
  
"Good morning Gohan." Chi Chi greeted him from the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning mom, dad. Hey Goten" Gohan answered while yawning and stretching.  
  
"Hey Gohan! How's Videl today? Has she woken up yep?" asked Goku, who was waiting very impatiently for his breakfast.  
  
"I think she's the same. She's still pretty hot. And no she hasn't woken up yet" Gohan said now taking a seat beside Goku.  
  
Chi Chi caught the tail end of Gohans sentence as she was walking in with breakfast.  
  
"You Know Gohan. Its really sweet and very cute that you still think Videl's hot even with her fever and the bruise on her cheek" Chi Chi said with a giggle as she watched how red Gohans face went.  
  
"MOM! That's not what I meant! I meant that it felt like she still had a high fever," Gohan said with extremely flushed cheeks.  
  
"I know, I know. I was only teasing. Anyways, after breakfast the Bulma, Vegeta and trunks are coming over so I want you and Goten to go to the forest and collect firewood ok? We're starting to run a little low," Chi Chi said giving Gohan, Goku and Goten their breakfasts.  
  
"Yeah! Runks If Comin Oer?" Goten asked with a stuffed mouth.  
  
"Goten! Mind your manners, and yes Trunks is coming over" Chi Chi said as she ate like a civilized person  
  
After Gohan, Goten and Goku had finished stuffing their faces and when Chi Chi finished eating her meal, she sent Gohan and Goten to get wood. Gohan was a little hesitant to leave the house, with Videl all alone but Chi Chi said she would be fine and Goku would check up on her while she cleaned up.  
  
Gohan and Goten said good-bye and left to collect as much wood as they could.  
  
While Chi Chi was cleaning Goku snuck upstairs and decided he wanted to check on Videl.  
  
He walked into Gohans room and gently shut the door behind him. He went to the chair beside the bed and sat down.  
  
"Hey Videl. Its Me, Goku" Goku said to what he thought was a sleeping Videl.  
  
"Hi Goku how is everything?" Asked Videl  
  
Goku was definitely caught by surprise he didn't expect her to answer. But after looking at her for a few minutes he figured she was hallucinating. Her eyes were still closed. And he remembered how when Gohan had taken her upstairs Bulma told him and Chi Chi how she would probably hallucinate because of the fever.  
  
"I know you probably wont remember this when you feel better but I'm ok, and everything isn't fine you have a lot of people worried about you. I don't know if you can hear me but your hallucinating" Goku said as he answered Videl.  
  
"You're the boss apple sauce!" Videl said as she gave a grin, still keeping her eyes closed. "You know Goku, you should be proud!" Videl said now changing the topic.  
  
"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Goku asked, slightly amused bye Videl. He had never been called applesauce before.  
  
"Because of Gohan silly!" Videl replied  
  
"What do you mean?" Goku asked now really getting interested in what she had to say.  
  
"He has such a CUTE Butt! I bet he gets it from you. You should be proud because he got your butt. I mean yours is good but Gohans is soooooo Cute!" Videl said still asleep.  
  
It took Goku all he had not to burst out laughing. He was a little red, I mean come on! His son's girlfriend was complimenting his backside!  
  
"Well thank you Videl, I uh... Will be proud of that," Goku answered still trying to burst out laughing. 'Ohh yeah she's definitely hallucinating. Man I bet when Gohan hears about this he will die of embarrassment!" Goku thought to himself.  
  
"Videl there was something I wanted to ask you about your father" Goku said now taking on a more serious tone.  
  
"Goku I want you to be my dad! I like you more then him." Videl answered still asleep.  
  
'Good maybe this will tell me if my suspicions are right' Goku though to himself in a serious tone again.  
  
"Why do you like me more then your father Videl?" Goku asked trying to get the information from Videl. He didn't mean to sound rude or pry into her personal life, he really just wanted to get down to the bottom of her bruises and help her out.  
  
"Your nicer then him. He is really mean to me. Today he didn't believe I was sick, and then made me run 15 laps and when I only ran 10 because I felt sick he yelled at me again. And his butt isn't as good as yours!" Videl replied  
  
Goku once again blushed 'Well I think that answered most of my question'. Goku though as he looked down at the hallucinating girl before him.  
  
Videls face took on a look of discomfort. "Goku I want Gohan here, I don't feel well" Videl said.  
  
"Ok I'll go get him for you ok?" Goku said now walking to the door.  
  
"Thanks... dad" she trailed off as if she was falling asleep again.  
  
Goku gave a little smile. 'I've always wondered what it would be like to have a daughter'. Goku gently closed the door to Gohans room once again.  
  
Just as Goku walked down stairs a snow covered Gohan and Goten walked in the house.  
  
"Hey mom me and Gohan were flying and I said look over here and Gohan looked and I got him right in the face with a snow ball! Then Gohan threw a snowball at me but I dodged it and Gohan chased me and then the snow started picking up so he said we should bring the wood back" A very energetic Goten said in one breath.  
  
"That's great Goten. Did you and Gohan get enough fire wood?" Chi Chi asked looking at Gohan.  
  
"Yep! We got enough to last us the whole winter and until mid winter next year." Gohan answered.  
  
"Hey Gohan I went up stairs to see how Videl was doing and she wanted me to send you up ok?" Goku asked turning a little red remembering Videls earlier comment about his and Gohans uhh... backsides.  
  
"Ok thanks dad" Gohan said as he was walking upstairs.  
  
"Hey Goten, You wanna have a snow fight?" asked a grinning Goku.  
  
"You bet! Your Going down dad!" Yelled a giggling Goten.  
  
Back Up Stairs  
  
Gohan walked into his room and closed the door behind him. Outside he could hear the muffled sounds of his dad and brother playing in the snow.  
  
Gohan walked over to Videl and sat down on the chair.  
  
"I don't know what dads talking about she's fast asleep. Gohan said as he looked at Videl.  
  
Just as he finished that sentence Videls eyes fluttered open just slightly revealing glassy looking eyes.  
  
"Gohan?" said the tired voice of Videl.  
  
"Hey you. You've had me worried about you, how are you feeling?" Gohan asked sitting on the chair beside her again.  
  
"Gohan my stomach hurts and I feel really hot" Videl said as her eyes started to water. (Have any of you done that before? It's happened to me I once was really sick with a high fever and my moms like why are you crying and I'm like I don't know! Lol so yea she's like crying because she's sick and can't help it because her fevers so bad ok? Back to the story)  
  
"Shhhh, shhhh don't cry. I know you don't feel well. And you feel hot because you have a really bad fever. And Bulma said you're severely exhausted. What were you doing? I found you on your indoor track. What the heck were you doing out there when your this sick?" Gohan asked getting worried again  
  
Videl sat up and leaned against the wall and motioned for Gohan to sit beside her.  
  
"Because he made me run. I was going to tell him I didn't want to but I was scared" Videl now tearing up really badly. She put her face in her hands and started crying.  
  
Gohan leaned over and hugged her while she cried.  
  
'I can't tell if she's crying because she's sick or because she's upset. And someone made my Videl run when she's sick!' Gohan thought getting a little angry. 'Wait; did I just call her my Videl?' Gohan thought with a confused expression.  
  
Gohan pressed his hand to her forehead. She leaned into his hand.  
  
Videl felt incredibly hot and Gohans hand was the cool relief she was looking for. She was a little upset when he withdrew his hand but leaned against his chest. It wasn't as cool as his skin but at least it was comfy.  
  
Videl was finishing up her cry. Gohan was gently rocking her back and forth and stroking her hair like she was a baby while she basically laid on him.  
  
Videl was so comfortable that she started to drift off again.  
  
Gohan suddenly heard Goten and Trunk yelling and figured Bulma was down there too. Sure enough there was a quiet knock on the door.  
  
"Come in" Gohan said as quietly as he could without the other person not being able to hear him.  
  
Bulma's head popped in along with a medical kit.  
  
'Awww... They look so sweet!' Bulma thought trying hard not to say it out loud. She gave a small smile.  
  
"Hey I wanted to check her temperature if that's ok," Bulma said getting out her ear thermometer.  
  
"Yeah, its no problem. I felt her forehead a few minutes ago and she still feels pretty hot" Gohan said as He tried to turn her head to make it a little easier on Bulma but she'd groan and dig her head in Gohans chest again.  
  
While Gohan was busy blushing, Bulma though she'd try and talk to her.  
  
"Videl sweetie, I need you to turn your head for 2 seconds ok? Please." She spoke as if she was speaking to Goten or Trunks when they got sick.  
  
Videl turned her head slightly then spoke again.  
  
"Gohan I still don't feel well" Videl spoke as if Bulma wasn't even in the room.  
  
"I know Videl. But Bulma's going to try and help you as much as she can ok?" Gohan replied to Videl after her comment.  
  
"Gohan maybe she would feel a little better if she was down stairs. That way you can still eat when you want to, Videls not lonely and I have more room to check up on Videl. But first I want to check out those bruises on her stomach again." Bulma said as Gohan started to move to lay Videl down.  
  
Gohan turned his pink face away to give Videl some privacy as Bulma lifted up her shirt again. But ended up turning around so he could see the bruises himself.  
  
"Well they look like there getting better," she gently poked Videls stomach on a bruise. After receiving a wince and a groan she stopped. "They're still tender" Bulma said as she straightened out.  
  
"Bulma there is something she said to me. You know how you said she's severely exhausted and something or someone must of work her pretty hard? Well I was asking her why she was laying on her indoor track and she said 'Because he made me run' and she didn't protest because she was scared. Could that have anything to do with it?" Gohan asked recalling Videls previous comment.  
  
"That could very well be the whole cause of her exhaustion. But who would make her run when she's sick?" Bulma questioned trying to figured it out.  
  
"I don't know, I wanted to ask her but she started crying" Gohan answered as he looked down to her.  
  
Bulma's face took on a look of pure shock. The thought of Videl, though Videl, crying was hard to believe.  
  
"Well why don't you bring her down stairs hmm?" Bulma said as she started walking towards the door.  
  
"Ok, can you make sure that the couch is cleared off please?" Gohan asked as he started picking Videl up, blankets and all and followed Bulma down stairs.  
  
Well I'm going to leave it there because I'm tired and I wanted to post this!!! So read and REVIEW!!! Later Dayz! 


	7. Revalations

OK I've gotten into this story again!!!! Which is why I'm writing yet another chapter! I'm Amazed I've never written this much before!! Anyway here's chapter 7!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"Talking"  
  
'Thinking'  
  
"Vegeta, could you please get off the couch? That's where we're going to place Videl for now ok?" Bulma asked Vegeta rather nicely. Expecting there to be some form of confrontation.  
  
Vegeta watched as Gohan carried Videl in his arms. He watched a how affectionately he held her.  
  
'He made an all right choice for a woman. Anyone who can piss me off that easily, and sill not back down is worthy of a saiyan wife' Vegeta thought. He gave a grunt and sat on a chair.  
  
"Thanks Vegeta" Gohan said when he left the couch for Videl.  
  
Bulma was amazed Vegeta didn't make an argument out of it. She'd have to question him on that later on.  
  
Gohan placed Videl on the couch, he placed the pillows behind her head and made sure she was covered by the blankets. Then sat at the end of the couch.  
  
"Hey mom, I just thought of something," Gohan said now speaking.  
  
"Yeah and what's that?" Chi Chi asked.  
  
"Today is Friday, Videl and I have school today, did you call in?" Gohan asked  
  
"Yeah don't worry about it! Everything's been taken care of" Chi Chi responded.  
  
Gohan finally relaxed a little. He didn't even realize he had drifted off to sleep.  
  
Gohans Dream  
  
Gohan appeared in what looked like Videls house.  
  
He was floating around in the air and saw a woman. She was short she looked maybe 5'5 5'6 max. She had shoulder length black hair and brilliant blue eyes.  
  
'She looks like Videl. Only Older.' Gohan thought as he studied her  
  
She was in a kitchen when something big and dark was lurking in the shadows appeared. As the lady was cutting up food and humming the dark shadow jumped out and grabbed her from behind.  
  
He saw the man grab her roughly from behind and cover her mouth. Gohan watched helplessly as the woman struggled to free her self.  
  
Gohan wanted to help her out but he wasn't really there, he was just witnessing it.  
  
He watched as the woman freed her self and ran as fast as she could. She started running up that stairs but the man shot her in the leg causing her to collapse. She screamed in pain. The man came up behind her and muttered some words then dug a knife deep into the woman's back.  
  
Gohans stomach was lurching. He had seen some violent things before, but this was like icing on the cake.  
  
The man dug the knife in the woman a few more times then picked the woman's body up. He carried her and put her in a toy chest. The figure then dashed off to never be seen again. Then he saw a little girl. Short black hair bright blue eyes enter the room.  
  
'Now that looks identical to Videl!' Gohan thought as he watched whatever was going on unfold.  
  
The little girl looked around then walked up to what Gohan assumed was her toy box. She opened it up and screamed. The little girl broke down into tears sobbing and screaming about mommy.  
  
Gohan looked away. He knew from experience, finding a loved one dead was very hard.  
  
Then a white flash appeared and Gohan was in a white room. It was white everywhere. A place like that could drive a person crazy.  
  
Then the woman Gohan saw in the kitchen appeared and started walking towards Gohan.  
  
"Where am I?" Gohan questioned the woman.  
  
She gave a smile. "I brought you here to ask for help and offer help." The woman said studying Gohan.  
  
"What? Why do you need my help?" Gohan asked confused.  
  
"My name is Aaliyah. Aaliyah Satan." The woman said (I don't know Videls mom's name and Aaliyah was the first to come into my head)  
  
"But that means you're Videls mom!" Gohan said shocked.  
  
"That's correct. Now I understand that lately Videl has been ill. And she's been having dreams about me. You saw one of the dreams she has had. Videl was raised to believe that I had died of natural causes. But what you and her have seen is actually true. I was murdered." Aaliyah relieved to Gohan.  
  
Gohan wasn't too sure what to say at the moment. This wasn't any normal dream.  
  
"Gohan if you want Videl to get better. Do not allow her to go home. I wont tell you everything, Videl will tell you soon enough. But Hercule is a root of her problem. If you really love Videl, keep her with you please. I'm begging you. I don't want her to end up here with me!" Aaliyah said on the verge of tears.  
  
Gohan was still shocked. 'What could Hercule have to do with any of this?" he asked him self.  
  
"I wont let her go home. I will keep her with me." Gohan said.  
  
"Thank you. I have to let you return now. But please tell her I love her and miss her dearly!" Aaliyah spoke.  
  
"Oh and by the way... "Videls mom gave a smirk.  
  
'Now I see where Videl got it from' Gohan thought watching the woman.  
  
"Can you turn around for a quick second?" She asked still smirking.  
  
Gohan, confused, did as asked and turned around. Then turn back to face Videls mom and gave her a questioning look.  
  
"Videl was right when she spoke to Goku. He should be proud!" Aaliyah said with a bit of a blush.  
  
Gohan still looked confused. Then all of a sudden his eyes opened with a shock.  
  
'Was that for real?' Gohan thought as he tried to gather his thoughts. Gohan looked over at the sleeping angel.  
  
'So it must have been Videl I saw! She found her mother! But why doesn't she remember it?' Gohan thought as he went over to Videl and picked her up and laid her down on him.  
  
Gohan looked around. No one was home. He looked around a little not moving, not wanting to disturb Videl. And saw a note on the table.  
  
"Dear Gohan, We've gone shopping for Christmas decorations and are going to grab a tree also. I'm not sure when we'll be home but no later then 5. I stuck lunch in the fridge for you. Take care of Videl. Love you, signed mom" Gohan read out loud.  
  
Gohan looked down at Videl and noticed how she looked like she was sleeping peacefully.  
  
'Well at least one of us is having a pleasant dream.' Gohan thought as he watched Videl, the steady rise and fall of her breathing.  
  
Little did he know, how wrong he was.  
  
Videl was at the part in her dream where a younger version of her had just discovered her mother in her toy chest. Then it flashed to what looked like present time. She looked down at her clothes.  
  
"This is what I was wearing when I was made to run the track" Videl spoke out loud.  
  
Someone then jumped out from behind her. Videl heard him and screamed as she ran. He was still chasing her. It was like no matter how far she ran the stranger always seemed to be 2 steps behind her.  
  
"What do you want from me!?" Videl screamed in absolute horror.  
  
"I'm going to kill you. Just like your worthless mother. This scene seems familiar. Oh I know how to make it perfect. You have to run up the stairs, I will shoot your leg and then you beg for mercy, but I don't give it," The stranger in the shadows said. The only thing you could see on him was a sick smirk.  
  
As Videl was running the man threw something at her foot causing her to trip. She was now extremely scared. The man loomed over her. She saw his blue eyes.  
  
"The fearless Videl. Reduced to this. And here I thought you were raised better" The man sad as he raised a gun right to Videls forehead.  
  
Videls eyes widened in fear.  
  
"Good Bye!" The man said then pulled the trigger.  
  
Videl woke up screaming.  
  
Videls screaming startled Gohan again.  
  
Videl's eyes shot open and looked around all she saw was Gohan. Gohan looked very concerned.  
  
"Videl! Are you ok?" Gohan said as Videl made eye contact with him.  
  
"I... I... "Was all Videl said before her eyes welled up with tears again and she lunged at Gohan.  
  
Gohan was taken back by this action.  
  
"Videl what's the matter?" he asked as he closed his arms around her tightly  
  
"I... I can't take it anymore! They... they k-keep haunting me! And they wont get out of my head. And I see him! And he held a gun to my head and my mom" Videl managed to say as she was crying. As she spoke there were little gasps in between each few words. (I did that when I was little. If I was crying and trying to talk to someone I'd like have little gasps between words. K back to the story!)  
  
"What?" Gohan asked confused as ever.  
  
'Wait a minute! Videls mom! Videl must have had another dream about her mom being killed! But why was a gun held to her head? Is that why her mom didn't want to have me take her home?' Gohan thought as he held Videl and rocked her back and forth.  
  
Videl pushed away from Gohan lightly and looked him straight in the face.  
  
Gohan looked at her and gave her one of his famous clueless looks.  
  
"Gohan was I was so scared! It felt so real. This guy, he chased me and I said what do you want? And he told me he wanted to kill me just like my mom and how the scene looked familiar" Videl said.  
  
Gohan looked at Videl. He wasn't quite sure what he should say. Her eyes looked like they were about to release another down pour so he said the first thing that came to mind.  
  
He opened his arms and said, "Come here" and embraced Videl in a long hug.  
  
As Videl sat there in Gohans embrace. She started thinking.  
  
'I think I should tell him about my dreams. And about what my dad does to me. I hope he wont think I'm crazy and ditch me' She thought as she was being rocked back and forth.  
  
After sitting there for a few more minutes she pushed her self away and sat on the end of the couch.  
  
"Gohan I need to talk to you" Videl said as she looked down.  
  
Gohan started to get a little nervous.  
  
"Yeah what about?" he said as he sat down a little closer to her.  
  
"Ok, I'm saying this because... I can't stand holding it in any more, and not talking about it. I need to get it out. I'm going to start with my dreams ok?" Videl said still focusing on the ground.  
  
"Ok" was all Gohan said.  
  
"In class, when I woke up yelling. And today, when I screamed. I keep having these dreams. They haunt my mind. I see my self as a little girl. And I see my mother in the kitchen, working away and someone coming out and attacking her hen shooting her leg. Then finishing her off by digging a knife in her back. Then I find her dead in my toy box. That was one of the dreams I had." Videl said finding the ground still to be interesting.  
  
"Today I had a dream. The same man who had murdered my mother, he was after me. He kept chasing me. He threw something at my foot and made me fall then used that time to catch up on me. Then he told me about how this scene looked familiar and how he thought I was raised better that that. And he mentioned how it was similar to my mother's death. Then I lifted the gun barrel to my head and pulled the trigger, then I woke up" Videl said still trying very hard no to cry. "But the thing I don't understand is, I was always told my mom died naturally, she wasn't murdered." Videl said, not once looking up.  
  
"Videl there's something I should tell you. I fell asleep shortly after you did and I had a dream. It was of your mother, and she was being attacked. I then appeared in a white room. And you mother appeared, She asked me to tell you that she loved you and missed you very much. Also she said the dreams your seeing are the real thing" Gohan said looking at her but she still refrained from eye contact.  
  
Videl, shocked suppressed her shock and her questions  
  
"I... I'm not done yet. You know how you found me on my track? Well the thing is. When you brought me home, my...my... sigh my dad woke me up, I think he pushed me off of the couch and I think I hit a table which is what cut my lip." Videl said she still didn't want to look at Gohan.  
  
Gohan looked surprised. And thinking about what Videl had just said made him pretty ticked.  
  
"He then told me to stop faking it, and told me to run 15 laps. When I only ran 10 because I collapsed because I felt sick, he kicked me in the knee, here, and that's why it's swollen. But.... There's one more thing I need to show and tell you about" Videl said feeling like she was breaking apart inside  
  
Gohan could feel the anger rising up inside of him.  
  
Videl stood up and lifted up her shirt a little revealing the bruise Gohan had already seen.  
  
"This," she said as she pointed to the large bruise, "Is from dad, he has a bit of a short temper, I guess I'm just not the best person and he gets frustrated at that." Videl said sitting down again and blinking back tears.  
  
"Is your dad the one that did that?" Gohan said as he pointed to her face.  
  
Videl lowered her head and nodded.  
  
Gohan stood up in rage.  
  
Just as Gohan stood up Goku, Chi Chi, Goten, Trunks, Bulma and Vegeta walked in  
  
"Hey you two! How is everything?" Goku said as he walked in.  
  
Gohan gave a glare to all of them and stormed out of the house and took off at full speed.  
  
Every on stood there in awe at what just happened. Then they turned to what sounded like someone crying.  
  
Bulma and Chi Chi rushed over to Videl's side and both sandwiched Videl in a hug.  
  
"Goten, Trunks, why don't you two go and play video games in your room ok?" Goku said looking seriously at Vegeta who just nodded.  
  
"Aww but we wanna go find Gohan!" Trunks whined.  
  
"Go!" was all that Goku said.  
  
Both Goten and Trunks knew it must have been bad if Goku had to yell so they both ran upstairs and did what they were told to do.  
  
Goku and Vegeta walked out of the house in silence and took off in the direction Gohan did.  
  
Goku and Vegeta had followed Gohan to where it had felt like he had stopped.  
  
Once they stopped they found a super saiyan Gohan charging up.  
  
"Gohan stop!" Goku yelled trying to get his sons attention.  
  
Gohan shot a blast at the ground and blew a large chunk out of the ground.  
  
Vegeta shot a weak blast and hit Gohan in the back.  
  
Gohan felt himself being hit from behind and turned around and gave a death glare to Vegeta.  
  
"What the hell do you want?" Gohan said glaring once again.  
  
"Gohan what's the matter? You left all angry and Videl burst into tears. What happened?" Goku asked calmly.  
  
Gohan faced looked like it saddened at the mention of Videl.  
  
"I promised her. I failed her!" Gohan said as he started to get fired up again.  
  
"Gohan, getting mad will accomplish nothing. What happened?" Goku asked trying to calm his son down.  
  
Gohan heaved a sigh then stopped charging up then eventually came out of super saiyan mode.  
  
"So, what happened?" Goku said as him and Vegeta walked to Gohan.  
  
"You know how Bulma found bruises on Videl?" Gohan said.  
  
Goku nodded, while Vegeta listened.  
  
"She told me that after I had brought her home her dad pushed her off the couch, which is why her lip is cut, then made her run 15 laps. But she said she only did 10 because she collapsed from her fever. Then he kicked her in the knee. She also said her dad beats her." Gohan said looking at the ground.  
  
Vegeta looked shocked. And Goku just stood there wide-eyed.  
  
"But the worst part is, she blames her self. She thinks it's her fault that he does this. She said it's probably because she's not the greatest person so she thinks he gets frustrated at that." Gohan said now looking at his dad.  
  
"Then why did you storm out?" Asked Vegeta.  
  
"I was mad, not at her, I could never be mad at her, I was mad at my self" Gohan said looking at the two older me.  
  
"I promised her I would never let anything bad happen to her. Then I find out about this. I feel like I've failed her." Gohan said sounding defeated.  
  
"How could Videl or you blame yourselves?" Goku asked staring at his son.  
  
"I don't know" Gohan said sitting down  
  
"I don't think that's all of it." Vegeta said looking at Gohan.  
  
"There something else you're not saying, spill it." He said looking at Gohan.  
  
"Huh? Oh! Yeah there is one more thing that's kinda bugging me" Gohan said as realization dawned on him  
  
"Videl told me she's been having these dreams of her mother being murdered And today when I fell asleep I saw one of the dreams she's been having then I was taken somewhere and I met her mom, and she told me to not let her home and what I saw is what really happened to her. I talked to her mom" Gohan said looking at the 2 men again  
  
"Oh and she said something really weird. She made me turn around quickly then said Videl was right, and you should be proud dad? What's that all about?" Gohan said looking at Goku who blushed.  
  
"Uhh.... Never mind that," Goku said still blushing  
  
"You know the second you stormed out Videl started balling her eyes out?" Vegeta said talking.  
  
Gohan just looked down "I wish there was something I could do, to make her feel better, and get revenge on Hercule for hurting her so much" Gohan said starting to get angry.  
  
"Well maybe there is" Vegeta said  
  
Back At Videl  
  
"Videl sweetie what happened?" Chi Chi asked still hugging Videl.  
  
"I told Gohan about my dad, and these dreams I've had and he got mad, this is why I didn't want to tell him to begin with" Videl said as she held her head in her hands.  
  
Bulma looked at Chi chi and nodded.  
  
"Videl do you mind us asking what you told him?" Bulma said rubbing the girls back.  
  
"I told him about how I've had dreams about my mom dying. And I told him that my dad... because I'm not a great person so he probably gets frustrated and kinda takes it out on me because of it." Videl said wiping tears away.  
  
"You.... You mean he beats you?" Bulma said looking wide eyed like chi chi  
  
Videl didn't answer.  
  
"But why would Gohan be mad at you?" Chi Chi asked as she looked at Videl  
  
"I don't know, maybe he thinks I'm weak or something. Or I'm a wimp." Videl said putting her head in her hands again.  
  
"Videl, I think Gohan cares too much about you to let that be the reason he's made at you. And if it is, he's going to get his ass kicked." Chi Chi said as she hugged Videl again.  
  
So what's Vegeta's plan?? Will it Work? And will Videl and Gohan work out their troubles??? Or will Gohan get his ass kicked by Chi Chi?  
  
So that's the end of chapter 7! This has been the longest chapter I've ever made so you all better REVIEW!! 


	8. Dream Come True

OK I got board so here I am writing chapter 8!! I guess I should really update my other 2 stories as well, but this one is a lot of fun to write now!  
  
Chapter 8 Dream come True  
  
"Talking"  
  
'Thinking'  
  
Bulma and Chi Chi were still sitting beside Videl when she looked said she had to be sick. They rushed the girl to the washroom and looked away to give her some privacy.  
  
"Bulma I don't feel so good any more." Videl said after throwing up.  
  
"Ok sweetie. Do you want to go lay down? It feels like your fever is picking up again." Bulma said as she pressed her hand to her head.  
  
Videl simply nodded, and let the two older women help her into Gohans bed.  
  
Gohan. That's where Videls thoughts lay at the moment. She was positive she was falling in love with him. But did he feel the same way? And if he did why would he run out and get all angry on her like that in her time of need.  
  
As Videl lied in his bed she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
'I wish I could take it all back. Next time I see him I have to apologize or something! I can't stand the thought of him being mad at me. I care way to much about him, even if he doesn't feel the same way about me," Videl thought as her closed eyes started to become wet.  
  
Gohan... She thought as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Back To Gohan, Vegeta and Goku  
  
Both Goku and Gohan looked expectantly at Vegeta.  
  
"Care to elaborate on that Vegeta?" Gohan said as he looked at Vegeta.  
  
"Its odvious. You want to make that girlfriend of yours feel better and make Hercule pay correct? Then find the Dragon balls and wish for her mother to be alive again. Thus making that woman feel better, then find a way to make him pay." Vegeta stated from his spot against a nearby tree.  
  
Goku gave a grin. "You know Vegeta if I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually cared about Videl! You actually said something to make her feel better!" Goku stated grinning widely.  
  
"Good thing you know better" Vegeta mumbled from his spot on the tree "Vegeta... That's a great idea!" Gohan said as he ran the plan through his mind.  
  
"I'll be right back." Gohan said as he flew off.  
  
"Vegeta are you going soft on us?" Goku asked breaking out into smiles.  
  
Vegeta grunted "Hardly, now Kakkrot, go away and leave me alone." Vegeta said reverting back to his cold self.  
  
Back to Gohan  
  
Gohan flew at top speed to his house.  
  
He stopped at his and Gotens room and opened the window and flew threw.  
  
"Now where did I put it?" Gohan asked out loud as he went through some drawers.  
  
"Gohan I need to talk to you" said a sleepy Videl who just happened to hear the window open.  
  
"Videl I can't talk right now. I'll talk to you later. Now go back to sleep" Gohan said. He hadn't meant to sound rude, though the way he said it he sounded like he was pissed off at someone.  
  
"Ah ha!" he said triumphantly and exited the window closing it again.  
  
Gohan flew back to his dad and told him he'd be gone for a while, and wasn't sure when he was coming back. Then took off again.  
  
Goku had flown back to his house with Vegeta in toe.  
  
Before they knew it supper was done and eaten, Bulma, Vegeta, Trunks along with Goten who was going to spend the night left the house to. A few hours later they went to bed.  
  
It was 1:30 when Videl woke up.  
  
'I feel like my head has been run over a couple hundred times.' She thought as she groggily sat up.  
  
She heard a noise coming from downstairs and decided she wanted to check it out.  
  
As she started to walk down stairs she walked into what felt like a wall.  
  
"Videl! Are you ok? I didn't mean to do that I wasn't expecting you to be awake!" Goku said as he was sneaking up stairs from one of his midnight raids.  
  
"Goku? Sorry I thought you were Gohan." Videl said as he started to tear up again.  
  
Goku looked at the girl in front of him. He watched as the girl started to let tears fall down her cheeks.  
  
Goku walked over to her and embraced her in a big hug.  
  
"Videl what's the matter?" Goku asked as he rubbed the girls back.  
  
'This is what it must feel like to have a family who you can turn to and cry on their shoulder' she thought as she hugged Goku back.  
  
"I told Gohan about my dad, and he got mad at me. Now he probably thinks I'm some weak girl who cant take care of her self. Then I tried to talk to him when he came in the window and he told me go back to sleep and he couldn't talk." Videl said sadness clearly evident in her voice.  
  
Goku gave a small smile to the girl and lead her to the couch.  
  
He gave her another hug and wiped her tears off of her face with his housecoat sleeve.  
  
"Videl I'm going to be honest with you. Gohan isn't mad at you. He got mad at himself. He blamed this on himself. He said he had promised you when you fell asleep that he would protect you. Then he found out about this. Videl he isn't mad at you, and he has nothing but the up most respect for you" Goku said to the crying teenager.  
  
Goku knew that Gohan would tell her the same thing soon enough but the girl needed to hear that. This was a serious issue and she thinks it's her fault and her best friend and only ally hated her.  
  
Videls watery eyes looked up at Goku.  
  
"So he doesn't hate me?" Videl questioned with hope in her quivering voice.  
  
"No, he doesn't, and you and I both know, he will probably apologize for his little out burst." Goku said as he rubbed her back.  
  
Videl gave a faint smile as she listened intently to the older sayian talk.  
  
"Goku thank you. And I mean for everything. I really owe you and your family a lot. I don't know how I can repay you all." Videl said as she leaned back on the couch.  
  
Goku followed Videls lead and leaned back on the couch as well.  
  
"Actually Videl, I think this family owes you a lot more then you owe us." He said as he scratched the back of his head.  
  
Videl looked up as she brushed a stray hair out of her face. "Ok, its official, you've lost me" she said giving Goku a weird look.  
  
"Videl before Gohan met you, he was I guess you could say kind of depressed. And this dates back a few years. Gohan blamed his self all these year for my death. Then you came along. He didn't even have time to blame himself for my death because you were busy keeping him on his toes. With you trying to find out who the Great Sayiaman was he was pretty busy. "He said as he gave the young woman a small smile.  
  
"So you see you saved him from his self" Goku said  
  
"I saved him from his self?" Videl asked as she looked down deep in thought.  
  
"You see Videl, your worst enemy isn't in front of you its inside you. And Gohan was his own worst enemy and he was brining himself down. Then when I came back he was happy and still didn't have time to blame himself because you were still keeping him busy." Goku said as he looked seriously at Videl.  
  
"You saved him from his self. So I think we owe you more then you owe us" Goku said as he grinned at Videl now reverting back to his fun loving self.  
  
"Goku you've confused me even more!" Videl said as she rubbed her head and lightly hit him on the arm.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Anyways its pretty late how about we get you back to bed. If I don't get back soon I'm sure Chi Chi will know I raided the fridge again" He said as he stood up and stretched.  
  
"Ok" Videl said as she stood up then stumbled a little but grabbed onto Goku's arm and found her bearings.  
  
"You ok?" Goku asked with an eyebrow raised in total Son fashion.  
  
"Yeah. I have a head ach and I guess I stood up to fast," Videl said as she rubbed her head lightly as she let go of Goku's arm.  
  
"You want some Tylenol or food or something?" Goku asked  
  
"Actually could I have some Tylenol please?" She asked. She stifled a giggle at the face he made and as he mumbled out about how not understand why anyone wouldn't want food.  
  
Goku came back 2 seconds later with Tylenol in one hand and a glass of water in the other.  
  
Videl said a quiet thanks and walked, with a little bit of a limp because of her knee back to Gohans room. She turned around again as Goku walked by  
  
"Thanks again Goku. I really appreciate it," She said as she gave a half smile.  
  
"No problem" Goku said as he smiled and walked back into his bedroom and closed the door.  
  
Videl walked into Gohans room and sat on the bed. She found it a little cold in Gohans room so she made her way over to his closet.  
  
'I'm sure he wont mind if I borrowed a sweat shirt' Videl said as she flipped through Gohans clothes.  
  
She came across one she remembered seeing him in a few weeks ago. She grabbed the black one because she remembered he had that one before and let her wear because she was cold in class.  
  
She took it off of the hanger and put it on. It was a plain black sweatshirt. On Gohan the shirt fit him perfectly not to snug but it showed off his physique. Videl looked down and saw that the bottom of it came just above her knees.  
  
She sat down on the bed again and hugged the sweatshirt closer.  
  
'He doesn't hate me!' She thought with a smile, as she involuntarily smelled the shirt. She sighed and smiled again as she lied down and pulled the covers up and for once fell into a blissful sleep.  
  
Back at Gohan  
  
"Alright! That makes 3 dragon balls!" Gohan said as he started to fly away from a wooded forest.  
  
Gohan noticed how dark it was and looked at his watch.  
  
"Holy crap! Its 2 am! That took a lot longer then I had expected. But it's worth it. I wonder when I should have Videls mom summoned." Gohan thought he started flying home.  
  
"I got it! I'll do it Christmas morning. I'll wake up early, fly to Dende's lookout then wish her alive there. Then when people everyone comes over to the house for the party I'll fly back to the house and drop her off at the door and come in threw a window and then go downstairs. Then I'll have her knock on the door have someone answer I and tell its for her! That's perfect!" Gohan said, confidence and happiness clearly in his voice.  
  
He flew home and unlocked the door with the extra key that Goku had put on the roof.  
  
He walked in and found some food in the fridge and ate it.  
  
After eating he put his dishes in the dishwasher and walked up stairs to his room.  
  
He saw Videl lying on his bed peacefully and sound asleep. As he watched her he felt a pang of guilt in his heart, he knew she probably blamed her self for his reaction earlier.  
  
He kneeled down and smiled as he put his hand to her forehead.  
  
"At least her fever seems to be going down," he said as he started to brush some stray locked of hair out of her face and tuck then behind her ear.  
  
Gohan lifted her up slightly off the bed so he could hug her.  
  
He leaned to her hear and whispered, "Videl, I'll tell you this later as well, but I'm sorry. And don't even think of blaming yourself because it's not your fault. You're an amazing person. Please forgive me," he said giving her one more squeeze then laid her down.  
  
He kissed her on the cheek and again on the forehead.  
  
He stood up and grabbed a change of clothes to sleep in and left to go sleep on the couch.  
  
Morning  
  
Gohan felt himself being shaken awake.  
  
He groggily looked up and found his dad grinning at him.  
  
"Hey Gohan you awake?" Goku asked as a sleepy Gohan looked up at him.  
  
"Well I am now," Gohan answered in a tired voice. "What time is it?" he asked sitting up.  
  
"It's about 8:30, your mom and Videl are still asleep. I wanted to talk you and when I found you downstairs alone I figured it was a perfect time!" He said as he took a step back so Gohan could get up.  
  
Gohan stood up and yawned while leaning back.  
  
"Ok, I'm up, so what do you want?" Gohan asked as he scratched his stomach and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Well first off, I just wanted to tell you that I told Videl you didn't hate her. And second off, how's the dragon ball hunt going?" He asked now having his son's full attention.  
  
"Well so far I have 3. My plan is that I'll wake up early on Christmas morning, and everyone's usually at our house by like 8: 30 right? So I'll go up to Dende's lookout then wish for Videl's mom to be brought back to life. Then I'll come back and make up some excuse. Then I'll have her mom knock on the door and have you or someone else answer it and bring her in." Gohan answered sounding excited, only 4 more days!  
  
"That's an awesome idea Gohan!" Goku said as Gohan had finished talking.  
  
Gohan's smile came to an abrupt stop  
  
"Videl thought I hated her?" Gohan asked with disbelief in his voice.  
  
"Yeah. She said that after she told you about her dad you got mad at her. And you probably think of her as someone who can't take care of herself. And she tried to talk to her but you told her to go back to sleep" Goku said looking at Gohan as he looked at the ground.  
  
Gohans shoulders sunk. "I only told her that because I wanted to get started on the dragon balls and I needed the radar." Gohan said looking crestfallen.  
  
"Well it looks like you might be able to get your chance to apologize." Goku said as he noticed Videl walking downstairs.  
  
"I'm going to go back up stairs and see if your moms awake, Oh and," Goku lowered his voice to a whisper "If you need any help with the dragon balls Bulma has a spare dragon radar so I'd be happy to help you out with getting them" Goku said as he started to walk up stairs.  
  
As he was about to cross Videl he looked down to her and smiled. "Good morning Videl, you look much better then you did yesterday!" Goku said as Videl stopped to talk to him.  
  
"Good morning Goku. Thanks I'm feeling better." She answered giving him a smile as well.  
  
Gohan looked over to her and smiled.  
  
Her hair was a little messed up but that was to be expected after waking up. It fell to her shoulders (Videl has shoulder length hair in this fic ok? I don't remember if I mentioned it or not. Ok, back to the story!). She was wearing his black sweatshirt. It came down to her knees revealing her small slightly bruised legs. He noticed how she hadn't changed out of her shorts yet. The bruise on her face wasn't as noticeable as before just a little bit of purple showing.  
  
He thought she looked adorable, her face looked so innocent.  
  
Videl looked over to him and gave a sad smile and looked down. She hesitantly sat down on the couch.  
  
Gohan sighed and sat down beside her.  
  
"You're an amazing person Videl" Gohan said as he sat down on the couch with her.  
  
That comment caught Videl by surprise.  
  
"What?" She said as she looked at him with big shocked eyes.  
  
She looked up at him expectantly, expecting him to say something else. But when he didn't she pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. Maybe she was just hearing things.  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I'm sorry I stormed off, I wasn't mad at you I was mad at my self, and lastly I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you" Gohan said as he looked at her straight in the eyes.  
  
"Your not mad at me?" Videl said a smile starting to turn on the corner of her mouth.  
  
"Hell no! Why would I be mad at you? I blamed this on me not you." Gohan said surprised at her question  
  
Videls eyebrows furrowed "Why would it be your fault?"  
  
"When I brought you to my house I had said I'd.... that I'd protect you no matter what and then I found out about this." Gohan said looking down. A small pink blush came to his cheeks.  
  
Videl smiled. Videl crept over to him while his head was down.  
  
"Thank you" she whispered in his ear as she embraced him in a hug.  
  
Gohan was shocked at first but returned the hug.  
  
After a few minutes Gohan put his hand to her forehead.  
  
"Your fever feels like its going down. How are you feeling today?" Gohan asked removing his hand from her forehead.  
  
"I'm actually feeling a lot better, thanks to everyone here," She said smiling again.  
  
"Videl, your and extraordinary person, and don't you ever forget it" He said as she started to pull away.  
  
She gave him a confused look  
  
"You said that you thought you dad got mad at you because you're not a good person. That's a lie. And you know it. And don't you ever forget it. You dad doesn't even compare to you. I can honestly say I have never met a person like you, and I'm glad I did meet you" Gohan said in a serious tone as he gazed into her eyes.  
  
"You mean it?" Videl said as she smiled and bit back tears.  
  
"With out a doubt in my mind" he said as he smiled.  
  
'Videl have you ever seen such a cute face?' Videl asked her self as she watched Gohan smile at her.  
  
"Thank you Gohan" She said still fighting back tears of happiness.  
  
"Your welcome." He said one more smile then stood up.  
  
"So do you want anything to eat?" He asked Videl making her laugh.  
  
Ok! I'm going to skip to the next day ok?? I'm not too sure what else to write. So lets say Christmas is on Thursday and Now its Tuesday k? 3 that's 3 days before Christmas!  
  
Tuesday!!  
  
Videl was on her way to making a full recovery. All she had now was a cough, stuffed up nose and a sore throat.  
  
The whole Son family and Videl were decorating the house.  
  
"3... 2... 1!"Gohan said as he plugged in the lights to the house.  
  
"Wow" was all Videl could muster out. She had never been in a home that was this welcoming before.  
  
"The house look amazing!" Videl said in total astonishment.  
  
"Videl you act like this is new!" Goten said as he sat on her lap.  
  
"Well Goten, back at my place On Christmas I was usually alone. My dad would be away on...business I guess you could say, and the house was too big to ever decorate. I'd usually have a small Christmas tree in my room." Videl said looking sadly down at Goten  
  
"Didn't you get any presents?" Asked Goten.  
  
The conversation had grabbed the attention of Chi Chi, Goku and Gohan.  
  
"I did once upon a time," Videl said as she smiled recalling the memory. "But after my mom died Christmas kind of went down hill. That's also when we stopped decorating the house." Videl said, sadness clearly in her voice.  
  
"Videl you wanna know what?" Goten said grinning up at Videl still in his place on her lap.  
  
"What?" Videl asked.  
  
"Your not alone for Christmas! Cuz I'm going to be here and so will Gohan! And Mommy and Daddy! And I'm gonna get you a Christmas gift!" Goten said as he gave the traditional Son smile up at Videl  
  
Videl smiled a Goten and gave him a hug.  
  
"Well thank you Goten. If I can spend Christmas with you guys, this will be the happiest Christmas ever." She said as she stood up still holding onto Goten.  
  
"Daddy! Mommy! Can Videl stay for Christmas? Please!?!?!" Goten asked with puppy dog eyes.  
  
Goku looked at Chi Chi who simply smiled.  
  
"Of course she can! I'd be insulted if she didn't. So Videl, Are you gonna insult me?" Goku asked giving Videl a wink.  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it" Videl said grinning ear to ear.  
  
Gohan looked at Videl and frowned slightly. She was wearing some of his old gi pants that were too small for him but looked big on her. She also wore some of his old shirts.  
  
"Videl go and get dressed, I'm going to take you out shopping. You need clothes." He said startling her little  
  
"Gohan your already letting me stay, you don't have to buy-"But Gohan cut her off  
  
"Don't worry Videl its no problem! Now go get dressed so we can get there early" Gohan said.  
  
"Ok" Videl said as she walked up stairs.  
  
As Gohan watched Videl go up stairs he walked over to Goku.  
  
"Dad, can you do me a favor and look for them now?" Gohan asked as quietly as possible.  
  
Goku grinned "Sure no problem!" he said as he took the dragon radar from Gohan.  
  
"Thanks a lot dad. I've put the 3 I have in the attic ok? I really hope she likes this. Maybe this will be her happy Christmas" Gohan said as he waited for Videl to come downstairs.  
  
A few minutes later Videl came downstairs. Dressed in clothes that Gohan had given her previously.  
  
Gohan smiled at her. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah I guess" Videl said.  
  
They both went to the door and started getting ready for the cold outdoors when Chi Chi stopped them.  
  
"Gohan before you go to the mall can you stop at Bulma's for me? She said she wanted to drop off stuff but since you were going up that way I said you would stop by and pick up the capsules. Is that ok?" Chi Chi asked as he walked to the front door.  
  
"Is that ok with you Videl?" Gohan asked Videl.  
  
"Sure it's no problem," Videl said as she looked at Chi Chi.  
  
Chi Chi gave them both a smile. "Thanks, and have fun!" She said as the both left the house waving good-bye to her.  
  
Goku walked up to Chi Chi and hugged her from behind. Gohans words were running through his head.  
  
'Maybe this will be her happy Christmas'  
  
'Gohan, I bet this will be the Christmas to end all Christmases. I bet it will be the best Christmas for the both of you' Goku though as he kissed Chi Chi on the cheek.  
  
Chi Chi smiled. "And what was that for?" She asked with an eyebrow raised at her husband.  
  
Goku smiled back. "No reason" was all he said as he walked back into the living room.  
  
Back to Gohan and Videl  
  
Both Gohan and Videl flew in silence. It was if both were afraid to start a conversation.  
  
'I really hope that bringing her mom back to life will make her happy again. I have to think of something to get her father back for all he's done to my Videl' Gohan though angrily.  
  
'Man talking to Goten brought up some memories. Christmas really lost meaning when mom died. I miss her so much' Videl thought as she wiped a tear away from her face before Gohan would notice.  
  
After flying a few more minutes in silence they descended to the ground and front door of Capsule Corp.  
  
They walked up to the front door and knocked on it.  
  
A few seconds later, Vegeta came and answered the door.  
  
"What do you want brat?" Vegeta asked in his usual tone.  
  
"Bulma asked us to pick something up," Gohan said in a cheerful tone.  
  
Bulma came up behind Vegeta as if on cue.  
  
"Oh hi Gohan! Hi Videl. Vegeta get away from the door and let them come in." Bulma said as she greeted the teenagers.  
  
Vegeta grunted but moved away and leaned against the wall.  
  
"Here you go," Bulma said as she handed him the capsules "Thanks for picking them up, this is so much easier then bringing them over on Christmas".  
  
"Its no problem Bulma" Gohan said as he took the capsules and put them in his pocket.  
  
"So where are you two off to?" Bulma asked as they all sat down.  
  
"Well since Videl's going to be staying with us. I figured she could use some clothes. She's been wearing my old ones, as you see, and they don't fit her. So I'm going to take her to the mall so she can get some clothes" Gohan explained.  
  
"Oh! Well if your going shopping hold on a second." Bulma said as she walked away.  
  
She came back a minute later with a credit card.  
  
"Here take this, it had unlimited access to all the stores in this area. It will all be charged to Capsule Corp" Bulma said as she offered a platinum card to Gohan.  
  
"You don't have to do that Bulma, I have money you know" Gohan said as he lightly pushed the card back.  
  
"Nonsense! Think of it as an early Christmas gift for Videl." She said as she handed the credit card to Videl who looked down at it in surprise.  
  
"Are you sure?" Videl asked looking up at Bulma.  
  
Bulma grinned at her. "I'm positive sweetie! Now go on before the stores get packed! You only have a few more days until all the stores close-up for Christmas!" She said as the two stood up.  
  
Once they walked to the door Videl turned around to Bulma.  
  
"Thank you so much Bulma!" Videl said as she hugged the older woman.  
  
"Don't worry about it!" She said as she returned the hug.  
  
They opened the door and yelled a good bye and flew off to the store.  
  
"They're going to have such cute kids someday! I bet they'll be as tall as Gohan and as cute as Videl!" Bulma said with stars in her eyes as Vegeta rolled his eyes at Bulma.  
  
"Women" he muttered under his breath as he went to go watch TV.  
  
It had been almost 3 and a half hours since leaving Bulmas house with the credit card. Videl had to admit, she had a lot of fun shopping with Gohan. Her favorite part was when he wanted to look for some dressy clothes for anything that acquired formal wear.  
  
He had on black shoes, navy blue slacks and a white dress shirt.  
  
"So how do I look Videl?" Gohan asked as he spun around and posed for Videl grinning widely as he did so.  
  
Videl was still a little down about her conversation with Goten  
  
"Yeah, it looks great" She sad with a sigh as sadness dripped in her voice.  
  
"You know the way you said it doesn't instill much confidence in me," Gohan said as he furrowed his eyebrows at Videl.  
  
"Sorry, it's just that the conversation I had with Goten brought up some memories I had suppressed and it's kind of depressing." Videl said as she looked up at Gohan.  
  
When Videl looked up at Gohan he got an evil glint in his eye and grinned at Videl.  
  
Videl gave him a confused look.  
  
Gohan was standing about 5 feet in front of Videl when he started to undo his belt. He took his belt off and swung it around his head twice then threw I back at Videl.  
  
"Uhh... Gohan what are you doing?" She asked as she dodged Gohans flying belt. She looked at him again and watched as he started to undo the buttons on his shirt.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked as he unbuttoned the forth-top button.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Gohan! Are you stripping?" Videl said as she ran over to him and pulled his shirt back together.  
  
The whole scene between the two had attracted some weird looks.  
  
Videl went into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Promise me you'll never do that in public again! I mean, what are you thinking?" She asked trying to suppress her laughter and act mock serious.  
  
"Well, you said you were depressed. So I wanted to take your mind off of it. Plus it got you to laugh" Gohan said as he smiled down at Videl as she was still holding the shirt together.  
  
"I'm going to go get changed. That's enough stripping for one day," Gohan said as walked back into the change room.  
  
'Videl have you ever met a sweeter kinder, funnier, hotter guy then him?' She thought as she blushed at her thought.  
  
Gohan came out of the dressing room.  
  
"Well how about we head home?" He asked.  
  
Videl had more then enough clothes to last her at least a year. She had tracksuits, jeans, long sleeve shirts, t-shirts, shorts, pjs. She had to have had at least, 15 bags worth of stuff. She had bought her underwear and stuff like that when Gohan was looking in a bookstore.  
  
"Yeah that sounds good" Videl was about to grab all of her bags when Gohan stopped her.  
  
"Now what kind of guy would I be if I didn't carry the lady's bags for her?" Gohan asked as he started picking up Videl's bags.  
  
Videl heaved a sigh "You be like any normal guy" she said as she tried to take come bags but he pushed her away gently.  
  
"Well good thing I wasn't raised to be a normal guy" Gohan said as he had all of the bags.  
  
"You ready to go?" He asked as they walked to the doors.  
  
"Ready when you are" She said as they took off.  
  
Later that Night  
  
After everyone had eaten their supper everyone was relaxing. Videl was lying on the couch with Goten sitting on top of her watching Christmas cartoons, Chi Chi was looking at the capsules Bulma had sent over, Goku was in the kitchen again and Gohan was walking over to his dad.  
  
When Gohan walked in the kitchen Goku had just finished fixing himself a sandwich.  
  
"Hey dad, did you manage to find any?" Gohan asked startling the older sayian.  
  
After Goku regained his composure he spoke up.  
  
"Yep! I got the last of them for you!" Goku said as he took a bite out of his sandwich.  
  
"Thanks dad. I owe you" Gohan said as he looked out at Videl and smiled.  
  
"No problem" Goku said swallowing the bite of his sandwich he took.  
  
Goku looked at his son whose gaze was fixed on Videl.  
  
Goku smiled. "You know? You made a great choice," Goku said.  
  
Gohan nodded then blushed. "Sorry dad what did you say I uhh... Didn't hear you!" Gohan said trying to hide his blush.  
  
Goku laughed as he walked out to the living room.  
  
Gohan looked over at the clock and saw it was 10:30.  
  
He walked into the living room and found Goku watching Frosty Returns, Goten was fast asleep on Videl and Videl was starting to doze off.  
  
Gohan walked over and kneeled down in front of the dozing Videl.  
  
"Hi" She whispered tiredly.  
  
"Hey" Gohan answered.  
  
"I'm going to bring Goten up to his bed. Maybe you should hit the hay also. The spare bedroom is all made up for you. We didn't use it before because mom was hiding gifts in there but now it's free for use." Gohan said as he started to take Goten away from Videl.  
  
"Ok" was all Videl said as she stood up and stretched.  
  
Goku also stood up and yawned. "All this talk about sleep is making me tired. I'm going to bed now too" Goku said as he covered another yawn.  
  
"Good night dad" Gohan said as he held the sleeping Goten.  
  
"Good night Goku, sweet dreams" Videl said as she rubbed her eyes.  
  
"Good night you two" Goku walked over to Goten and ruffled his hair a little and whispered "Good night little guy" and walked up stairs.  
  
Gohan and Videl followed Goku's lead and walked up stairs. When Videl reached her door she turned around.  
  
"Good night Gohan, and thank you for everything today" She said as she looked up at Gohan and noted how he looked so natural holding kids.  
  
"Don't worry about it Videl. It was no problem. And goodnight" he said as he walked into his room and closed the door.  
  
Next day A.K.A. Christmas Eve  
  
Chi Chi and Bulma had taken Videl out shopping. So Goku, Goten and Gohan were left alone.  
  
Goku was in the kitchen finding some more food; Gohan was watching TV and Goten was busy making something at the kitchen table.  
  
"Hey! What do you guys say about going outside and playing?" Goku said as he finished eating again.  
  
Goten had finished whatever he was making looked up excitedly at Goku. "That's a great idea daddy! We can make a snow man!" Goten yelled as he jumped up and down.  
  
"Well Gohan wadda ya say?" Goku asked as him and Goten gave him puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Sure! Lets go!" He said as him and Goku ran towards the door to get their stuff on while Goten ran upstairs with whatever he had made then ran downstairs and joined them.  
  
Once all three were outside Goten suggested something.  
  
"Lets make a giant snowman!! And see if it will scare anyone!" Goten said as he giggled at his idea.  
  
"Alright lets get started! I'll make the base, Gohan you make the body and Goten you make the head." Goku said as he started a ball.  
  
Gohan and Goten both grinned and got started.  
  
An hour later they had a 10-foot base, a 7-foot body and a 5-foot head. They found a dead tree and make it look like a carrot for the nose and used long logs for arms and used a lot of dirt for eyes.  
  
"Wow! He looks awesome!" Goten yelled as they heard a scream.  
  
All three turned around to find Chi Chi and Videl.  
  
Videl was trying to hold back her laughter. When they arrived a giant snowman greeted them. It was funny because it scared the crap out of Chi Chi at first.  
  
Goten started laughing "It worked! We scared mommy!" Goten yelled as he fell on the ground laughing.  
  
Everyone stood still for a few seconds then it started to snow lightly.  
  
"Well let's go inside and have lunch. Plus, it looks like the snow is going to pick up any second. And I don't want to be taking care of three sick sayians this holiday. You're all a bunch of babies when you're sick." Just as Chi Chi had said that the snow started to come down harder.  
  
Everyone rushed inside. And waited for lunch.  
  
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.  
  
Chi Chi started working on food for tomorrow. While Videl started to bake chocolate chip cookies.  
  
After Videl had made almost 45 dozen she decided that was enough cookies for one day.  
  
The house now smelled like fresh baked cookies.  
  
Gohan walked into the kitchen with his nose in the air.  
  
"Man! Something smells good in here!" Gohan said as he breathed in the smell of cookies.  
  
"Here try one" Videl said as she handed him a freshly baked cookie.  
  
At the sound of 'here try one' Goten ad Goku both came in and gave puppy dog eyes.  
  
Videl smiled as she rolled her eyes and gave both of them a cookie also.  
  
All three took a bite at once.  
  
"This is delicious!" Gohan said as he finished his bite and took another one.  
  
"Mmmmm this is yummy!" Goten managed to say with a full mouth.  
  
"Chi, these are really good... Can I have another one?" Goku asked as he finished his cookie.  
  
Chi Chi walked over to the three and Videl.  
  
"No you can't have another one. And I'm not the one who made them, Videl did!" She said as she grinned at the three boys who looked a little shocked.  
  
"Where'd you learn to make these?" Gohan asked. He had no idea Videl could bake.  
  
"I can cook and bake you know! And my mom taught me the recipe before she died." Videl thought as she saw Gohan smiling.  
  
'Then your lucky you'll have her back tomorrow!' Gohan thought as he smiled.  
  
"And what are you smiling at?" She asked a little mad.  
  
"Nothing" was all Gohan said as he walked out of the kitchen.  
  
That night everyone went to be a little earlier because Goten wanted to make sure Santa would come.  
  
Christmas Morning  
  
Gohan woke up to something pounding on his chest. He opened his eyes and saw Goten jumping up and down on him telling him to wake up with a giggling Videl at the doorframe.  
  
"Is he up yet Goten?" Videl asked as she watched the little boy jump on his big brother's stomach.  
  
Gohan stopped Goten in mid jump "I'm up!" he said with a little laugh as he stood up and stretched.  
  
Gohan looked at the clock it was now 7:30.  
  
'Perfect. I'll get dressed and say I'm going to see if Dende's coming down' He thought as he walked downstairs.  
  
Once downstairs, the whole living room floor looked like it was almost covered completely with presents.  
  
"Come on Chi! Can I have something to eat! Last meal I had was supper!" Goku pleaded as he was thrown out of the kitchen.  
  
"Goku! I swear! I'm going to have Bulma invent a frickin sayian proof kitchen!" Chi Chi yelled as she tried to get breakfast ready for the bunch of people who were expected to come in an hour.  
  
Goku looked horrified for a minute then spoke. "But Chi, I've always gone into the kitchen!" Goku said sounding defeated.  
  
"And mom always yelled" Gohan imputed finding the whole thing amusing.  
  
"Goku, people will be here in like an hour or less. You can wait. Now go and get changed or something," Chi Chi said as she went back to preparing the meal.  
  
"I'm going to go get dressed now too," Gohan said as he walked up stairs.  
  
Gohan walked downstairs a few minutes later in just a training gi.  
  
"Gohan you're not going to wear that are you?" Chi Chi asked as she looked at her son.  
  
"No, I'm going to go up to the look out and see if Dende is coming" Gohan said as he put his coat on.  
  
Gohan waved and flew of as Goku stood there smiling.  
  
Gohan flew up to the look out with the dragon balls tucked away safely in his pockets.  
  
He landed and walked over to Dende.  
  
"Hey Dende! Merry Christmas" Gohan said as he walked over to his good friend.  
  
"Merry Christmas to you to Gohan" he said as he walked over to Gohan.  
  
"Dende I need you to do me a favor now quickly ok?" Gohan asked as he got all of the dragon balls out and placed all 7 on the ground.  
  
"I'm way ahead of you Gohan" Dende said as he said the words and brought the eternal dragon out.  
  
"Why is my slumber disturbed?" Boomed the large green dragon.  
  
"Eternal Dragon! I wish that Aaliyah Satan be brought back to Life!" Gohan yelled up at the dragon.  
  
The dragon's eyes flashed yellow then a woman who looked very similar to Videl appeared.  
  
"Where am I?" Aaliyah asked as she looked around and saw a small green man, a small black genie and the boy she met earlier.  
  
"Hi! Remember me?" Gohan asked as he looked at her. "I wished you back to life" Gohan answered as he walked towards her.  
  
"Why?" She asked more then confused.  
  
"I did it for Videl" was all Gohan said.  
  
Videl's mom smiled.  
  
"If you wanted to change your clothes I brought some extra clothes a few days back. There in the room over there" Gohan said as he noticed she was in an old t-shirt and sweat pants.  
  
"Ok" was all she said as she walked to the room Gohan had pointed out.  
  
"Oh and Dende, did you want to come down with us for Christmas?" Gohan asked as he looked down at his friend.  
  
Dende was about to answer but was interrupted by the dragon.  
  
"What is your second wish?" The dragon asked impatiently.  
  
"I forgot about that," Gohan said, as he looked startled.  
  
Dende looked up and told the dragon that they wanted to save the wish for another time. The dragon gave an annoyed sigh and returned to the dragon balls. Since they hadn't used the last wish the balls weren't sent off flying.  
  
Then Videl's mom walked out. She wore a black skirt with a tight black long sleeve shirt showing off her form and had half of her hair pulled back in a ponytail. And long black boots on.  
  
"Ok, so are we leaving?" She asked, she was more then a little excited to be able to see her daughter again.  
  
Gohan looked at Dende who smiled. "I'll come down in a little while. You should go now. Merry Christmas!" Dende said as Gohan nodded to him.  
  
Aaliyah walked to the edge and gave a little yelp.  
  
"Gohan! How are we supposed to get down from here!" She said a little shaken up that they were so high up.  
  
"I forgot you didn't know about this. Well come here" Gohan said as Aaliyah walked over to him.  
  
Gohan picked her up and she gave another yelp.  
  
Gohan floated off the ground and took off yelling good-bye to Dende.  
  
"You can fly?" Aaliyah yelled as they were fast approaching a little cottage with a bunch of cars around it.  
  
"There's a lot I can do, I'll explain it later though" Gohan said as they landed and he put her down.  
  
"Can you do me a favor and stay out here for a few minutes?" Gohan asked as he gave her his coat so she'd stay warm.  
  
"Sure, no problem!" Aaliyah said as she took the coat from Gohan and he walked inside.  
  
Gohan walked inside and everyone was already there.  
  
"Hey Gohan!" he heard a few yelling.  
  
Everyone was dressed for the Holiday. Except for Goten and Trunks. Chi Chi and Bulma figured why put them in nice clothes when they're going to mess them up anyway? So they were both in a training gi. Everyone else was wearing some form of red and green. Goku was sitting in the middle of the couch talking to everyone. He was wearing red pants with a green shirt topped off with a Santa hat. Not hard to tell he was into the spirit of the holiday!  
  
Both trunks and Goten were having fun with Trunks' new video camera.  
  
Gohan walked over and greeted everybody as Videl walked down.  
  
"So is Dende coming?" She asked as she walked over to him.  
  
"He said he might later." Gohan answered as he looked at her. "Where'd you get that outfit?" He asked as he studied her. She was wearing a midnight blue dress that accented her curves. It was sleeveless with a V-neck. And her hair was slightly curled. She looked so elegant.  
  
"I got it yesterday when I went shopping with your mom. Why do you like it?" She said as she spun around.  
  
"You look beautiful! One of the prettiest girls in the universe, and trust me I'd know!" Gohan said giving her catcalls.  
  
Vide blushed and thanked him quietly. Gohan had then excused himself so he could change. He walked downstairs a few minutes later in Black dressy slacks and a green dress shirt.  
  
Videl walked over to him and smiled. "You sure clean up nice!" Videl said as she walked over to him and circled around him, tucking in a part of his shirt.  
  
"There, perfect!" She said as she finished.  
  
"What me or the outfit?" Gohan asked as he laughed and blushed at what she just did.  
  
"Both" she answered. That comment caused Both Gohan and Videl to laugh. And got a few comments out of Krillian.  
  
Both stood there for a few seconds when they heard a knock at the door.  
  
"I'll get it!" yelled Goku who was smiling like crazy.  
  
"Goku who is it?" Asked Chi Chi as she and Bulma came out from the kitchen.  
  
Goku opened the door and grinned. 'Man Gohan was right, they do look alike!' he thought as he gave her a once over.  
  
"Hi and Merry Christmas!" Goku said cheerily  
  
Goku then whispered. "Hi, I'm Goku, I'm Gohan's dad" he said as he shook her hand.  
  
She smiled and nodded. "Hi! Merry Christmas too you as well. I was wondering if Videl was here?" She said playing along.  
  
"Sure come in!" Goku said as walked to the living room.  
  
"Videl," Goku said as he entered the living room.  
  
"Yeah what is it Goku?" She asked as she looked over to Goku who smiled at her.  
  
"Someone's here to see you!" He said.  
  
"Who could that be?" She thought out loud. Now all eyes and Trunk's camera were focused on Videl.  
  
Goku turned around. "Well come out!" said as he stepped aside and Aaliyah walked in.  
  
She looked at Videl and gave a shy smile.  
  
"Mom?" asked Videl shocked.  
  
OK!! This is the longest chapter I have EVER written!!! SO I'll probably post again sometimes soon! 


	9. Christmas Day

I'm writing again!!! Ah ha ha! I've gotten back into Dragon Ball Z! So if I started writing and posting a lot, that's why! Well last chapter was my longest ever! Now I'm going to try and make this one even longer! Let see what I can create!

Chapter 9 Christmas Day!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Almost everyone's mouth dropped at the sight. There was Videl, and someone who looked almost like her twin only a few years older. Vegeta looked on at the sight as it played out and raised an eyebrow as he watched the scene.

"Hi" Aaliyah managed to say quietly. Her baby girl had grown so much! She was beautiful! Shoulder length black hair, bright blue eyes, and a slender body to top it off.

Videl's mouth slowly dropped open then closed partially and opened again. She looked like she wanted to say something but could find the words.

'There's no way, Mom died, this must be some kind of joke' Videl though as she looked at the woman who looked a lot like her mom.

"Ok is this some kind of sick joke?" Videl asked getting a little upset.

Videl directed her eyes to Vegeta. "This is your doing isn't it? Is this some kind of payback for when I called you a monkey and filled the gravity chamber with bananas?" Videl asked trying to steady her quivering voice. Both anger and sadness were fighting to take over.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her again and spoke. "Do you honestly think I'd do that? I had nothing to do with it. She's wearing Gohan's coat, why don't you ask him," Vegeta said in a calm cool manor.

Videl was about to give an earful to Gohan when Aaliyah spoke up.

"Videl it's me! Your mom! Aaliyah Satan. I died when you were 7." Videl looked at the woman again and gave her a small glare.

"Everyone one knows that, it was all over the news" Videl said not sure what tone she should be taking with this woman.

"When I was alive I taught you how to make chocolate chip cookies. With the recipe I made. And every Saturday I'd take you to the park to play. And on Christmas you and me would always make snow men and snow angels and we'd go shopping and look at the lights while you father was away" Aaliyah said as she smiled recalling the memories and wiped away a few tears that had escaped her eyes.

Videl stood there shocked again.

Meanwhile Trunks was filming the whole thing.

"Trunks? Is that Videl's mom?" Goten whispered to Trunks.

"I think so," Trunks whispered back.

"Ok good, I thought there was another Videl and I didn't get her a present" Goten whispered as Trunks sweat dropped.

"Shh I'm trying to get this" Trunks said as they paid attention to the scene again.

After a minute or two Videl managed to speak again.

"Mom?" she asked again as her eyes started to water.

Aaliyah stepped forward as she smiled.

"Yes" Aaliyah said quietly.

Videl walked over and stood infront of her and looked at her for a second. For the people who were witnessing it, it looked as though Videl was looking in a mirror.

Videl was trying her best not to cry infront of all these people.

'Is this my mom?' She questioned her self.

She looked at her for another 30 seconds then threw her arms around her and hugged her. Videl hugged her mom as tight as she could. She didn't care that she was crying. This was her mom.

'But how did she come back?' She asked her self. It took all Videl had to pull out of the hug. She was almost afraid that if she let go her mom would disappear and leave her again.

Videl's tear streaked faced looked at her mom.

"How... It isn't possible" Videl managed to whisper out.

Videl's mom smiled. "Somebody cares about you more then imaginable," She said clearly as she made eye contact with Gohan. "By the way, thank you for the coat Gohan" she said as she took it off. Goku took the coat away from her and hung it up for her and quickly came back.

Gohan blushed a little. "Your welcome" he said as he cleared his throat.

Videl spun around.

"You did this?" She asked as she looked at him.

Gohan was avoiding eye contact at that moment. "Yeah" he said quietly.

"But why? And how?" She asked as she starred at him.

"I gathered the dragon balls with help from my dad. Then this morning when I went to see Dende I wished that your mom be alive again, and then I brought her down and got her to wait a few minutes. And you were having dreams about her. And you seemed like you were really upset and missed her. I really wanted you to be happy this holiday. So I thought... "He trailed off as he looked at Vegeta who shook his head not wanting any credit.

"That this could be a Christmas present for you that you'll never forget. And one that will make you happy." he said as he made eye contact with Videl.

"Gohan..." Videl said. She was at a loss or words. This was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her and probably ever will do for her. This was it. She knew she was in love with him.

She walked up to him slowly.

"That... is the nicest thing anyone has or ever will do for me. There's something I wasn't sure of before but now I'm positive about." She said, as she stood infront of him.

Gohan looked down at her with a confused look. "Yeah? And whats that?" he asked as he looked her in the eyes.

"That..." She trailed off. She looked him straight in the eyes and jumped up at him and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all she had.

The sudden movement made Gohan stumble back a little. He wasn't sure how to respond to Videl's spontaneous action, but he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist.

After a few minutes both separated, flushed and out of breath.

"Thank you, so much, for everything" she whispered as she gazed into his obsidian eyes.

"Your welcome" He whispered still taken back by the kiss.

Videl looked up at Gohan "Gohan I'm positive that I'm falling for you. No one has ever made me feel like this or treated me this well. I care so much for you, this was the icing on the cake," Videls whispered as she looked down, finding his neck very interesting at the moment

"You are?" He asked shocked and amazed.

"Yes" She whispered and looked down. Videl let go of Gohan, taking his silence as rejection. She turned to walk back to her mother when she felt him gently grip her hand and pull her back. He stared at her for half a second and cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. The kiss looked like is was soft but filled with emotion

This kiss was shorter. He finished off with a few butterfly kisses then looked back at her.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the way you do" Gohan said as he smiled at her.

Videl suppressed her surprised gasp and smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in her hair.

The stood there in an embrace for a few seconds then realized that they were in front of all of Gohan's friends and family.

Both separated and blushed heavily.

Krillian then decided to make his presence known to everyone.

"Hey Gohan! When's the wedding? And what do you think your kids will look like?" Krillian asked very loudly.

Bulma decided she wanted to get in on the Gohan teasing and decided to answer Krillian's question. "I personally think they'll be as tall as Gohan but definitely as cute as Videl" Bulma answered earning a grin from Chi Chi.

The whole room minus Vegeta burst out into laughter.

Marron not being one to be ignored walked up to Gohan, an innocent look plastered on her face as she tugged Gohan's pant leg. Gohan looked down and before he could ask her what she wanted she popped her question.

"Gohan? Where'd you learn to do that?" Marron asked she looked up at Gohan.

As if Gohan and Videl weren't blushing enough by the previous two comments, Marron's innocent question made both teens go cherry red.

Gohan gave a glare to Krillian, seeing as he was the one who started the whole tease-the-new-couple game.

Krillian put his hands up in defense "Hey man! After you beat cell you said right in front of 18 that I had a huge crush on her. I've been dying for the chance to get pay back," Krillian said as he tried to keep a straight face

Just when the new couple thought things couldn't get worse Videls mom walked up to Chi Chi.

"Hi! I'm Aaliyah Satan, I'm the brides mom!" she said as she was grinning from ear to ear.

"Mom!" Videl yelled with embarrassment as Aaliyah and Chi Chi shook hands.

"This could be the start of a beautiful friendship!" Chi Chi exclaimed with an evil smile plastered on her face.

Everyone laughed then went back to talking amongst each other.

Goku walked up to Gohan and Videl.

"Gohan! Your plan worked perfectly!" he said as he looked at the two.

Videl looked up at Goku and smiled and hugged him.

"Thank you for helping him. You all have no idea how much this means to me. You know Goku? Your like a father to me" Videl said as she felt Goku return the hug then let go.

"Yeah? Well I've always wondered what it would be like to have a daughter, that's why I don't mind doing the tea party thing with Marron, the only hard part is pretending to eat, especially when you're a sayian! But I think I'll just keep considering you as the daughter I've never had" Goku said as he laughed and looked down to her.

Videl couldn't help but giggle at the imaginary picture of Goku in a bonnet with his pinky up on a teacup pretending to eat food.

Goku looked at Gohan "And it looks like someday you'll be my daughter-in-law!" He said with a laugh as he watched the two go beat red.

"So are you two a couple now?" Goku asked as his laughter died down.

"Uhhh...." Gohan said as he looked down to Videl who looked up at Gohan with a big grin on her face.

"Well... I don't know about Gohan, but I wouldn't mind it" Videl said as he smiled at Gohan again.

Gohan smiled again as he picked her up and spun her around.

"Then I guess its official, Videl will you be my girlfriend?" He said as he was spinning her around.

"I'd love to be!" She said with a giggle as he put her down

Goku smiled at the two. Aaliyah walked over to meet them.

Aaliyah stood there and looked at the two.

"Videl you've grown so much! I remember seeing you when you were seven years old. I didn't realize I had been gone 11 years. You're so beautiful!" Aaliyah said as she hugged her daughter again and noticed her blush at her compliment.

Gohan smiled at the two glad that he had played a part in bringing them together.

"Mom, I want you to meet my boyfriend Gohan. He beat cell, not dad," Videl said as she beamed up at Gohan.

Videls mom smiled as she shook Gohan's hand.

"Its nice to see Videl found a very nice and attractive boyfriend. And one who beat up a monster. I remember seeing cell in the afterworld." Videls mom said as she laughed as Gohan blushed. She didn't' realize he was so modest.

Goku who was still standing there made a confused face. Gohan had excused himself to go play with Goten.

"You were in the other world?" Goku asked as he looked down at her.

"Yeah" She said as she looked up at him.

"You got to keep your body as well? What did you do?" Goku asked still looking confused.

"Well I sorta of fought crime. And once I stopped a train hijacker. I was told that I was a bit of a hero so I could keep my body. You know? I think I've seen you there. With some blue guy." She said as she brought a finger to her chin as she thought.

"Yeah I hung around with King Kai. It was kind of my fault he died, I blew his planet up with cell." Goku said with a little bit of a laugh.

"Well sorry to cut off the conversation. But I'm going to try and get some food! I'm starving!" Goku said as he put his hand behind his head and rubbed his stomach.

As Goku walked away Bulma walked up.

"You know, you two could pass off as twins?" Bulma said as she looked at Aaliyah and Videl.

Videl gave Bulma a funny look "You think so?" She said as she looked at her mother.

"I guess we look similar," Aaliyah said as she studied Videl.

Bulma extended her hand to Aaliyah. "Hi I'm Bulma Briefs, that over there with the pointy hair is Vegeta, my husband" Bulma said as she pointed to Vegeta.

Aaliyah shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you" Aaliyah paused for a second then leaned in a little causing both Bulma and Videl to lean in also.

"How do they all get their hair to stick up? Gohan, Goku, Vegeta and Goten have the spikiest hair I've ever seen. They must use a tone of gel to get it up like that!" Aaliyah said as Bulma and Videl both laughed.

Videl laughed. "I think their hair makes most of them look adorable! Goku and Goten's hair is soo cute! And Gohan's! I love that piece in the front! You can never get it back!" Videl said then realized she was talking out loud and blushed earning a laugh from the two older women.

Bulma laughed as she wiped a tear from her eye. "It's because they're sayians. It's a race from long ago. They were all really strong fighters. They'd send babies to planets and kill every living thing on the planet when they grew up, then they'd sell the empty planet for profit. Vegeta and Goku are the last full-blooded sayians alive. Gohan, Goten and Trunks are all half sayians. From what I've seen and heard sayians have wild uncontrollable spiky hair. You can try to gel it down. But hunny it ain't coming down!" Bulma said as she looked at all of The Sayians.

Aaliyah laughed "Wow, they way you talk about them they'd seem like they'd all have a violent nature and they'd be cold a ruthless."

"That couldn't be further from the truth!" Videl said as she looked at her mom.

"There supposed to be. Vegeta may be cold but he is really sweet and does love his family. And Goku, apparently when he was younger he was a little hell raiser. But Gohan, the one who found him as a baby calmed him down and raised him then was killed. But since I've known Goku he's always been a sweet heart." Bulma explained as she looked at Aaliyah.

"Once you get to know the Son's they're all a bunch of sweethearts. Vegeta I'm sure has his nice moments, but I think Trunks and the Son boys are really sweet. Goten is pure innocence. He with out a doubt gets that from Goku who is just like a little boy. But if needed, Goku will help you out no matter what. And Gohan..." Videl trailed off as she sighed blissfully.

Bulma and Aaliyah both looked at each other knowingly.

"Gohan is just the most caring, sensitive, sweet, smart, fun, loving guy I have ever met" Videl said as she looked at Gohan who was busying himself playing with Goten and Trunks.

Bulma and Aaliyah smiled at the in trance girl.

"Ahh young love" Bulma said as both laughed.

"Aaliyah, if you wouldn't mind, how did you die?" Bulma asked as she took on a more serious look.

"I was murdered" Aaliyah said simply.

Videl looked a little take back.

"That's what Gohan said... But I was always told you had died of natural causes" Videl said as she snapped out of her trance and took a step back from her mother looking at her shocked.

"I'm willing to bet it was a cover. I was murdered. I told Gohan. I also told him not to let you go home. I know how violent Hercule is. And I didn't want him to hurt you anymore. I was worried about you" Aaliyah said as she looked at Videl.

"You were murdered. So my dreams were true?" Videl asked almost horrified.

"Yes, unfortunately, they were." Aaliyah said as Videl hugged her.

They pulled apart. This was Christmas. A time to be happy not sad, and Videl was sure this was going to be the best Christmas around.

Videl was about to introduce her mom to everyone but Goten pulled at her dress and looked up at her.

Videl bent down so she was at eye level with Goten.

"What is it squirt?" Videl said using Gohan's nickname for him.

"I have a present for you" Goten said as he held out a paper for her.

Videl took the picture from him and looked at it. It was a picture of her, Gohan, Goku and Chi Chi all standing at a Christmas tree. On the top part of the page it said Merry Christmas Videl, love, Goten.

Videl smiled. "Goten this is the best picture anyone's ever given me. I'm going to put it up in my room and never take it down!" Videl said as she looked down at Goten.

"You like it?" Goten asked as he looked up at Videl.

"I love it!" Videl said as she picked Goten up in a hug. "Thank you!" She said as she squeezed him.

"You're welcome!" Goten giggled as Videl hugged him. "I told you I'd give you a present!" Goten said, as Videl was now holding onto him.

"Mom, this is Gohan's little brother, Goten. Doesn't he look identical to Goku?" Videl said as she faced her mother.

"Well aren't you a cutie!" Aaliyah said as she looked at Goten as he blushed.

Videl put Goten down as he ran off to find Trunks.

"I didn't know they were so modest," Aaliyah said as she watched Goten run off.

"Yeah, but again all 3 boys are real sweetheart. Goku is just like a kid; you cannot meet a nicer man. Gohan is really sweet and kind. And Goten is adorable. If you see Gohan and Goten together, it melts your heart at the scene" Videl said as she smiled as she spoke about the Son family.

"You speak so highly of them, you must be really close to them," Aaliyah said as she looked at everyone that was in the small house.

"You would to if you had heard of all that they've done for everyone." Videl said as she looked back to her mother.

Aaliyah was about to say something but Chi Chi came out of the kitchen and yelled that breakfast was done. Aaliyah laughed, as all of the sayians were the first ones to the table.

Videl sat down beside Gohan as he grabbed an extra chair for Aaliyah.

Aaliyah said a quick thank you as everyone was seated and the food was brought out.

The table was almost full of food! Sausages, rice, eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, cereal, muffins, buns and many more foods covered the table.

Aaliyah leaned over to Videl "Why is there so much food?" Aaliyah whispered.

"You'll see soon enough" Videl whispered back as she smiled.

As Chi Chi walked in with the last plate she stood in front of her seat.

"Ok lets eat!" she said as everyone grabbed a few things off of plates but the sayians grabbed plates of food.

Aaliyah sat there wide eyed as she witnessed all of the sayians shoveling all of the food in their mouth. Aaliyah was at one end of the table and she could see the whole table.

Everyone else ate as if nothing was different. They made small talk about 'The good old days' and ate their food like normal people.

Aaliyah looked at Videl as she sat beside Gohan. Videl ate normally enjoying her food while Gohan was eating 3 different foods at a time.

Aaliyah still looking shocked started to eat her food slowly.

"So Aaliyah what was is like being married to 'the great' Hercule?" Chi Chi asked, adding sarcasm to 'the great'.

As Aaliyah heard Hercules name she paled a bit "I... It wasn't as I had first expected it to be" Aaliyah said in a bit of a quivering voice.

"Yeah? What did you expect?" Chi Chi asked, the conversation now catching Videl's attention.

"I had expected it to be like when we were dating. The guy actually had a heart back then. He did anything for me. Then we had Videl and all was great. Then his fame went down hill a little. Then a few months later I was killed" Aaliyah said.

"How sad" Chi Chi said as she gave a sad look.

Goku half hearing the conversation raised an eyebrow as he stuffed 3 pancakes in his mouth.

The tables was pretty silent except for the occasional burps, and excuse me, from the sayians.

Twenty minutes later everyone was done.

Aaliyah was still amazed by the way Gohan, Goku, Goten, Trunks and Vegeta ate.

She couldn't help her self at the question she asked next.

"Where in god's name do you put all that food? You're all so thin and look as though you're probably in excellent shape. How can you eat so much?" Aaliyah asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Sayians have weird eating habits mom. Take Goku for example. I'd give him 10 minutes before he's hungry again," Videl said as she laughed at her mom's question.

"Hey! I don't eat that often," Goku said as he tried to defend himself.

"Also, we have to eat this much. If we don't we can get sick and it keeps our energy up so we can stay in shape!" Goku finished off as he stretched back.

"So your all in shape?" Aaliyah asked amazed.

"You wouldn't believe the shape there in," Vide said as she pulled Gohan's arm up.

"What are you doing?" Gohan asked Videl with an eyebrow up. Why was she bringing his arm up?

"I'm using you as an example. Mom, look at his arms!" Videl said as she rolled up Gohan's sleeve

"That's amazing! And they're real?" Aaliyah asked as she gingerly poked his arm.

"Yep!" Videl said as she laughed at how red Gohan's face went.

"All of them are pretty built! Even Goten and Trunks. They have like a super speed metabolism," Videl said as she pulled Gohan's sleeve down.

"Wow, I'm so jealous! I wish I could eat that much and not gain a pound!" Aaliyah said making the table laugh.

Goten got up and walked over to Chi Chi.

"Mommy can we open presents now?" asked an excited Goten.

"I don't see why not. I'll do the dishes after everyone is done opening presents" Chi Chi said as he stood up and ushered everyone to the living room.

Everyone took a seat in the living room. Goku and Chi Chi were on the love seat. Piccolo and Vegeta were leaning against the wall. Bulma was sitting on the couch along side Aaliyah, Yamcha, Master Roshi, and Oolong. Gohan, Videl, Goten and Trunks were all sitting on the floor.

They were about to pass out the presents when there was another knock on the door.

"I'll get it" Goten said as he walked to the door.

"I'll be back too. I'm going to wash my hands" Aaliyah said as she got up.

"I'll show you the way," Videl said as she got up as well and both went upstairs.

Goten opened the door then a yell was heard as Goten slammed the door shut and locked it behind him.

"Daddy! There's a man out there with three eyes!" Goten yelled.

"Did he happen to be with a small person who looks like a mime?" Goku questioned as he raised an eyebrow at Goten.

"I'd say he looked more like a china doll," Goten said with a shrug.

"It must be Tien and Chatzou!" Goku said as he got up and unlocked the door and opened it.

"Tien, Chatzou! You made it! Sorry about Goten. Oh and you missed breakfast" Goku said from the door.

"Hi! Ahh I missed Chi Chi's world class cooking? That stinks." Tien said from the door.

"Come in, Hi Chatzou! Come in!" Goku said as he step aside and let the two in.

"Hi everyone!" Tien said as he walked into the living room.

Everyone greeted him back as he sat down.

"Goten, that's Tien and Chatzou, you don't have to be afraid of them! There really nice!" Gohan said as he pulled Goten out from behind him.

"Man Goten you've grown last time I saw you! When I last saw you, you were a few weeks old! You look just like your daddy!" Tien said earning a grin from Goten.

Just as Tien had sat down on the chair Videl and Aaliyah walked down stairs.

"You have three eyes!" Aaliyah blurted out as she covered her mouth.

Videl also looked a little shocked at the three-eyed man in the seat near them.

"Tien, this is my girlfriend Videl" Gohan said as he stood up and pushed Videl forward gently to shake Tien's hand.

"Its nice to meet you Videl, I'm Tien!" Tien said as he shook Videls hand.

"And this is Videl's newly revived mother, Aaliyah" Gohan said as he pushed Aaliyah forward as well.

"Hi, sorry about my comment earlier I was just caught a little off guard" Aaliyah said as she blushed.

"Think nothing of it" Tien said as he waved her off.

"Can we please get to opening presents?" Trunks asked a little annoyed.

Goku passed out all the gifts. When everyone had their own pile they started opening.

Videl remembering she had gifts for the sayians excused her self.

Videl came back with 5 large boxes stacked one on top of the other. Videl couldn't see very much so Gohan went over and took 3 from her and put them down.

"Thanks" Videl said as she put her boxes down and picked one up.

She gave one to Gohan, one to Goten, one to Goku, one to Vegeta and one to Trunks.

"I'm sorry I didn't get everyone else gifts, I was a little sick for awhile." Videl said as she looked down sheepishly as she apologized.

Then she gave an envelope to Bulma and Chi Chi.

Chi Chi and Bulma both opened their gifts and laughed.

Videl had given Chi Chi a card that had excused her from doing any dishes on Christmas day (she's preparing 3 meals! And that's with sayians! That's a lot of dishes!). And to Bulma she gave a card that said good for 4 free baby sittings.

Both women thanked the younger woman.

Next all 5 sayians unwrapped their boxes and opened them up. Inside was about 30 containers each fill with what looked to be cookies.

"You made us cookies?" Goku asked hopefully.

"I wanted to get you guys something! And then you guys tried my cookies and said you liked them. So when everyone went to bed I stayed up and made more cookies. I figured what better present for a sayian then on they can eat?" Videl said with a little bit of a laugh.

"Thank you Videl!" Goten and Trunks both chimed as they opened one o the containers and started eating.

Goku also said thank you and Vegeta grunted but ate the cookies.

Gohan also said thank you and gave her a hug, which got some comments out of everyone. They pulled apart and blushed.

Everyone put the wrapping paper in the garbage and proceeded to thank everyone for his or her gift. After that Goku stuck on some Christmas music as everyone started talking.

"Hey Videl-"Gohan was cut off as Master Roshi came over to where Videl and Aaliyah were standing.

"I have a gift for both you!" he said as he walked up o the two women.

Both women gave him a funny look.

First he turned to Videl.

"How about I treat you to dinner and maybe a swim in my bath tub" And then he turned to Aaliyah "Then you and me can take a romantic walk on the beach and see where we go from there." Videl and Gohan were both about to beat Roshi to the ground when Aaliyah spoke up.

Aaliyah put on a seductive smile and leaned down "How about you and I go into the bedroom?" She asked noticing the older man's nose start to bleed.

Everyone who was witnessing this looked disgusted.

Master Roshi grinned and ran into the bathroom while Aaliyah started to follow.

Aaliyah flashed an evil smirk to everyone then followed the old man into the room.

Everyone still stood in silence.

A minute later Aaliyah reemerged from the room looking like she was trying to contain her laughter.

"Mom! You didn't!" Videl asked looking like she was going to cry at what her mom just did.

At that Aaliyah couldn't take it. She burst out laughing. Wanting to tell everyone what she had just done she pointed to the door.

Gohan taking the hint walked to the front door and stepped outside after he stuck some boots on.

Gohan walked out the door and fell over he started laughing so hard.

Everyone proceeded to follow Gohan example. They looked up and saw master Roshi. Master Roshi was in nothing but his underwear, His underwear being the only thing holding him up as it was attached to a nail on the outside of the house. Roshi had a dazed expression on his face and what looked like to be a foot and handprint on his face.

Everyone laughed as Roshi started to blush at the attention he was getting.

"Think we should get him down?" Goku asked calming himself down at the sight of his old master.

Videl looked at Gohan who still looked slightly peeved, but now more composed. "Nah, I think he needs to cool off a little" Videl replied as she offered her hand to Gohan who was still on the snow.

With that said everyone walked in.

Aaliyah had finally composed her self but was still grinning.

"Mom! That was the funniest thing I've ever seen!" Videl said as she hugged her mom at a job well done.

"Man, I see where Videl gets a lot of her expressions and ideas from." Gohan said as he watched the two.

Chi Chi started to walk back to the kitchen when Videl noticed and followed her.

"Chi Chi, I said I'd be doing the dishes so don't even think of starting them" Videl said in a mock stern voice.

Chi Chi smiled at the younger girl. "Sorry force of habit. But are you sure sweetie? I don't mind really!"

"I don't mind at all. I can do it, you go relax and catch up with everyone!" Videl said as she gently pushed Chi Chi out of the kitchen.

She watched Chi Chi walk over to Goku as he smiled at her and she sat on his lap.

Videl smiled at the scene and decided to get to the dishes.

She piled all the dishes on one side of the kitchen while she filled the left side of the sink with warm soapy water, and the left with clean water.

She walked over and grabbed a hair elastic from a drawer and put the apron over her so she didn't get her dress wet or dirty.

She grabbed the cloth and started washing the dishes.

In the background she could hear faded sounds of conversations of the people who filled the small happy house.

Getting a little board she started to hum to herself then started to sing

_**Have you ever been in love?**_

_**Been in love so bad**_

_**You'd do anything to make them understand**_

_**Have you ever had someone steal your heart away?**_

_**You'd give anything to make them feel the same**_

_**Have you ever searched for words to get you in their heart?**_

_**But you don't know what to say**_

_**And you don't know where to start**_

Gohan noticed Videl was no longer in the living room and walked over to his mom.

"Hey mom? Have you seen Videl?" Gohan asked, interrupting Chi, Bulma's, 18's and Aaliyah's conversation.

"She's in the kitchen" Chi chi said as she went back to talking with the other women.

Gohan nodded, a little confused why she was in the kitchen but walked over there anyways.

Gohan walked into the kitchen quietly not making a noise, or at least he assumed because Videl hadn't taken notice to him.

He walked a little closer to Videl but stopped when he heard her singing.

_**Have you ever loved somebody so much?**_

_**It makes you cry**_

_**Have you ever needed something so bad?**_

_**You can't sleep at night**_

_**Have you ever tried to find the words?**_

_**But they don't come out right**_

_**Have you ever, have you ever**_

Videl had done about a quarter of the dishes. 'How does chi chi do it?' Videl thought as she rubbed her brow.

Videl still hadn't taken any notice of Gohan's presence and continued to sing.

_**Have you ever found the one?**_

_**You've dreamed of all your life**_

_**You' d do just about anything to look into their eyes**_

_**Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to?**_

_**Only to find that one won't give their heart to you**_

_**Have you ever closed your eyes and**_

_**Dreamed that they were there**_

_**And all you can do is wait for that day when they will care**_

Gohan was still slightly taken back. He always thought Videl had a sweet voice, but he had not idea she could sing! Gohan watched in awe, as the oblivious girl kept washing the thousands of dishes.

_**What do I gotta do to get you in my arms baby**_

_**What do I gotta say to get to your heart**_

_**To make you understand how I need you next to me**_

_**Gotta get you in my world**_

_**'Coz baby I can't sleep**_

Gohan smiled deciding he was going to make his presence known. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips.

Videl was jarred out of her little world when she felt a gently pressure on her hips. Startled Videl jumped and gasped in surprise. She whirled around and saw Gohan looking at her, an amused smile playing across his lips.

Videl held a soapy hand in front of her.

"Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Videl said with a bit small laugh.

Gohan smiled sheepishly at her in return. "Sorry "he said as she looked up at him.

"I never knew you could sing" Gohan said once the two-made eye contact.

"You heard that?!" Videl asked blushing.

"Yeah, You're really good! I was amazed, I never knew you could sing!" Gohan said as he watched her cheeks heat up.

"Its nothing special. And I'm not that talented, I just got a little board." Videl answered looking down, cheeks still hot.

"Well, I've never heard a better voice then yours" Gohan said as he watched her turn around and stick her hands back into the soapy water.

Gohan rolled up his sleeves and walked up behind her again. He gently pulled her hands out of the water while Videl gave him a confused look.

"You shouldn't be washing the dishes," Gohan stated simply as he took one of her small hands into his giant ones.

Videl cocked an eyebrow up at his statement.

"Oh? And why should I not be washing them?" She asked still confused at what Gohan was doing.

Gohan looked as though he was having an internal battle for a few seconds but pushed it aside. He lifted her hand so her palm was facing towards him as he gently kissed her palm.

"Because your hands are too nice to be stuck in soapy water" Gohan answered as he blushed a little and massaged her palm with his thumbs.

Videl also blushed. "My hero" Videl managed to squeak out. "So are you my modern day Romeo, rescuing a damsel in distress?" Videl asked smiling at Gohan.

"V, I think you have your stories mixed up, Romeo didn't rescue women in distress. And I'm no Romeo. There's a lot of things I've wanted to say and do but didn't. But now that you're my girlfriend, I feel as though I can say or do them a little more freely." Gohan said as he grabbed both of her hands now and enclosed them in his.

Videl let a big smile come across her mouth and sighed.

Gohan picked up on her sigh. "What's the matter?" he asked still holding her hands gently.

"We haven't even been dating for an hour and already you're too good to me" Videl replied with a smile as she looked up at Gohan.

Gohan arched an eyebrow.

"What? Why do you say that?" Gohan questioned as looked at her intently, still holding her hands.

"Because it's true, you're too good to me. Not that I mind. I just don't think I deserve you. After all you've done for me. You took care of me when I was sick, you're letting me stay here, you bought me clothes, and you even revived my mother. And you've done all this, and we haven't even dated for an hour. That's more then some people do in a lifetime of love. You're so good to me," Videl answer looking down a little, a small smile still playing across her features.

Gohan gave Videl a confused smile and brushed a few stray hairs out of her face.

"I only did them because I want you to be happy. I hate seeing you upset, when you were sick and I saw you cry, I wanted to do anything to make you feel better, so I did what I thought you would like. If I'm being annoying or something by doing these things I can stop if you'd like. But I still want to go out with you, if you still wanna go out with me" Gohan said as he cupped her cheek with his hand.

Videl felt her eyes starting to water slightly.

"I still want to date you. Heck I've wanted to date you ever since we started becoming friends. You're not being annoying, not even slightly. Its just... you are so sweet to me. I've never been treated this way. And it's just taken me by surprise I guess. I'm still trying to figure out what I did to deserve you" Videl said, accidentally letting a single tear escape her eye.

Gohan's hand was still on Videls cheek so he wiped the tear with his thumb earning a smile from Videl.

"That's the way I like seeing you, smiling. And if I see you any other way, I'm going to do everything in my power to make it so I can see your smile" Gohan said as Videls eyes were still brimming with unshed tears as she smiled more and unconsciously leaned into his hand.

Videl let out a content sigh and looked up at Gohan in the eyes.

"Gohan, there's something I wanna do but I want your permission first." Videl said as her cheeks started to get hot.

"And what might that be?" Gohan asked as he stood up and looked at her.

"Can I... can I kiss you again?" Videl asked as she looked down her cheeks going bright red.

Gohan smiled as his cheeks went a slight pink color.

"I understand if you don't want me to" Videl mumbled out while she looked at the ground.

Gohan still smiled at how shy she was being. He reached his hand under her chin and forced her to look up at him.

"You know, you don't have to ask me to do that right?" Gohan asked as he gave a small chuckle.

Videl let a small smile creep up as he started to come down towards her.

Her smile widened as she felt Gohan's soft lips on hers.

Gohan brought his hands up. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him while his other hand rested on her cheek but slid up into her hair.

Videl felt Gohans hands and smiled as she wrapped one arm around his neck while she following Gohan's lead ran her hand through his black hair.

Videl was surprised at how soft Gohans hair was. She had always imagined that since it was so gravity defying it would be stiff and ridged. But it felt soft and thick.

Gohan smiled as he felt Videl smile and her hands in his hair. After a minute or so Gohan didn't want the kiss to end. But his lungs begged to differ and burned for air.

Sadly after a few more seconds he pulled away slowly from Videls lips.

He opened his eyes to see a blissful look on Videls face and couldn't help but smirk in self-satisfaction.

Videl opened her eyes to see Gohan smirking at her.

Videl smiled up at Gohan. "I could get used to that!" Videl said her smile grew bigger as Gohans cheeks went bright red.

"So I take it you enjoyed it?" Gohan asked trying to stop the rise of blood to his cheeks.

All he got from Videl was a giggle, so he took that as a yes.

"Why are you washing the dishes?" Gohan asked remembering all the dishes that littered the kitchen.

"Huh? Oh! It's my Christmas gift to your mom; I told her I would do all of the dishes today. Then you came in and told me I shouldn't be doing them," Videl answered with a grin on her face as she started to turn around again.

"I still think your hands are too pretty to be in soapy water. So I'm going to help you!" Gohan said as he walked beside her.

"You don't have to help me, I'm capable of doing it by my self" Videl said as he pushed her gently over to the rinsing sink.

"I want to help you. Besides, I'm going to keep you company! I'm sure with two people this will go by much faster!" Gohan said as he grabbed some dirty dishes and started scrubbing then passed them to Videl.

Videl let out a defeated sigh. "If you say so!" she said as she grabbed the plates from Gohan and started to rinse them off.

After 5 minutes or so Aaliyah noticed Gohan hadn't returned from the kitchen when he went on his search for her daughter.

Aaliyah walked to the kitchen door where she saw a little boy with purple hair sitting on the ground with a video camera looking into the kitchen.

Aaliyah a little confused bent down and looked at where he was looking. She peered inside the kitchen and saw Gohan and Videl both doing the dishes, quietly, a content silence spreading over them.

"This is boring! I don't think there gonna do any of that kissing stuff mom and Chi Chi were talking about anymore" Trunks whispered to himself as he covered a yawn.

"What are you doing?" Aaliyah whispered to the young boy.

"Gaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Trunks yelled quietly.

Aaliyah stifled a laugh "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you, I was just kinda curious when I saw you filming them. By the way, are you Trunks?" Aaliyah said as she watched the boy calm his breathing.

"Yep I'm Trunks! And the reason I was taping them is because my mom said she'd give me money if I caught them doing anything cute or whatever and Mrs. Son would cook me food if she got to keep the tape. But all they've done is wash dishes so I'm going to go play with Goten." Trunks said as he stood up and started to walk away.

Aaliyah just nodded as Trunks started to walk away then proceeded into the kitchen.

Aaliyah stood there and watched the two. 'There so cute together! Its so obvious they were made for each other' she thought as she smiled at the two.

Gohan grabbed the last cup that needed to be washed.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was to be dating Videl!

'I still have this weird feeling that something bad is still supposed to happen before we can all be happy though' Gohan though as he looked out the window that was in front of him.

Videl looked at Gohan as he held the dirty cup in his hand but made no movement to wash it. She smacked him lightly on his arm causing him to drop the plastic cup and look at her.

"What is it?" He whispered to her.

"You were spaced out... Why are we whispering?" Videl whispered back to him.

Gohan gave a small laugh "I dunno why! Here's the last cup then were done!" Gohan said as he handed her the cup that she dried and placed in the cupboard.

The two teens still hadn't taken notice to Aaliyah.

Videl walk over to Gohan and smiled.

"Thanks for the help, are you going to help me with the other two meals?" Videl question as she put her hands on his chest.

"If you want me to, I'd love to assist my damsel in distress" Gohan replied smiling back at her and holding her hands.

"Gohan...you have soap in your hair" Videl said as she reached up gently took hold on the lock of hair and slowly rubbed the soap out of his hair.

Aaliyah choose that moment to make her presence known.

"So this is where you two have been?" She questioned startling both teens.

Both jumped apart and blushed.

"Hey mom! Did you meet everyone else in the living room?" Videl questioned as her blushing went away.

"Yes I did and they're all really nice. I can honestly say you two hang out with an interesting gang. I find Chi Chi kind of funny; she certainly wants Gohan to have kids! I'm glad I was brought back to life. I still can't believe how pretty you are!" Aaliyah said as she walked over to Videl

Videl blushed again after receiving another compliment

"I'm going to go tell Chi Chi that the dishes are done then mingle a bit." Videl said as she walked out of the kitchen.

Aaliyah smiled and waved in her direction then turned her attention to Gohan. A look of concern and seriousness crossed over her face.

'Did I miss something here?' Gohan though as he watched her facial expressions change.

"I'm just warning you, don't worry" Aaliyah said looking at Gohan.

Gohan took on a look of confusion. "About what?" Gohan asked.

"Well for starters, she will get sick again, probably in a few days. She's always been like that, that's how I know. She gets something serious, then recovers then gets like a fever or something for a few days. It's nothing to worry about, just a heads up. Also, something doesn't feel right, watch over her for me ok? It's painfully obvious how much you love her, just... watch out for her ok? I don't want her to take any more blows," Aaliyah said as she averted her gaze from Gohans eyes to the kitchen floor.

Gohan blushed but still proceeded with the questions in his mind.

"I'll take care of her when she gets sick, how are you so sure she will get sick again? Also, what else do you think is going to happen? And what did you mean by 'take any more blows'?" Gohan asked as he tried to understand what she was talking about.

Aaliyah sighed and looked up off the ground again but still didn't want to look the young man in the face.

"I know she will get sick because from over the years I've watched over her, she'd always get sick like a week after she'd recover, and I just have a feeling she will get sick. I also have a feeling she will get hurt in the process of getting sick. I'm not sure what else is going to happen I just think she will get hurt again. But I'm positive you'll be there to fix it for her again. And by her taking more blows..." Aaliyah trailed off as she looked at Gohan.

'He looks so worried about her. I know he'll be the one to bring her confidence up' Aaliyah smiled at her own thought but decided she should probably continue since Gohan was giving her a weird glace.

"I'm not going to tell you much about this. I don't feel it's my place to discuss it without Videl's consent. But over the years, Videl's self-conscious has taken a downward spiral. Do you not notice how she blushes when someone compliments her? Hercule not only abused her physically but mentally as well. He'd tear her apart, insult her, put her down and I'm positive she starting to believe it" Aaliyah looked up at Gohan, her eyes bore into his.

"Why do you think she's a tomboy and covers up so much? She started believing his comments. That's why she started working out. To lose weight and tone up, not to mention fight back; all I can guess is that she assumed that since it came from her father, someone who she loved and is supposed to love her, it must be true. I believe my daughter couldn't be more gorgeous, that's one reason I keep complimenting her. And incase you didn't notice, as soon as a compliment leaves someone's mouth towards her she blushes and I'm surprised hasn't objected. I don't want her confidence to take any more blows." Aaliyah's voice dropped down to a whisper as she fought back tears.

Gohan looked shocked.

"Videl thinks she's ugly?!" Gohan questioned to no one in particular.

Gohan brought a hand to his chin as he raised an eyebrow.

"How could she believe that?" Gohan question him self then grew angry. "How could Hercule say such garbage?! I don't even see how she could be related to him! Talk about beauty and the beast! She's a friggin goddess! Why would she believe that crap? She's even cute when she mad for god sakes!" Gohan said as he paced back and forth in the kitchen anger dripping from his words.

Aaliyah's tears disappeared slightly at Gohan's ranting. "If you feel this way, then show it, make her believe your words" Aaliyah said as Gohan started to blush.

Gohan was about to reply to her comment when Videl, Chi Chi and Bulma walked into the kitchen.

"Gohan are you still in here?" Videl asked in a joking manor then noticed his looked of seriousness for that brief moment.

"Are you ok Gohan?" Videl asked a little concerned as she walked up to him.

"I'm fine nothing to worry about." Gohan said as he flashed her his Son grin.

"If you say so..." Videl trailed off as she gave Gohan a funny look.

"Were going to get lunch started, so I'd like you to leave my kitchen, Videl, you've done enough so you can go too, Aaliyah you can stay if you'd like and we can all talk, 18 will probably be here in a minute to join us" Chi Chi said as she grabbed the apron the Videl had been wearing and started to tie it behind her.

"If you're sure you don't want anymore of my help then I'll leave" Videl said as she gave a questioning glace towards the older women.

"Don't worry about it Videl, how about you me, Goten, Trunks and my dad and Marron will probably want to come. How bout we go out side and have a snow fight?" Gohan asked as Videl turned her gaze towards him.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea! Sweetie you can go don't worry! Were fine!" Chi Chi said as she smiled at the teens.

"Great! Then it's settled. Videl you may want to change into pants or something, I don't think you'd be able to move very well in the dress your wearing." Gohan said as he started to walk towards Videl.

"Yeah your right, as usual. You go ask them and I'll get changed" Videl said as Gohan walked up to her.

Gohan leaned a little closer to her ear then whispered "Not that I mind you in a dress, which by the way you look great in. I just don't want you to get sick or something," Gohan said as Videl let another blush creep to her cheeks.

Gohan then stood up and kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

'What was that about?' Videl thought as she did her best to ignore her mothers, Bulma and Chi Chi's huge grins at Gohans little display of affection towards her.

Videl shook her head lightly and turned around to head towards the stairs.

As she walked through the living room she could hear Goku and Goten's excitement at Gohan's idea of having a snowball fight.

She smiled to her self at their cuteness and walked upstairs.

Videl walked up to the guest room and closed the door. She went to her closet and threw on some black pants and a blue pullover shirt. She didn't feel like dressing up again so she threw on what she liked to call her 'bummin' clothes.

She walked out of her room and saw that Marron was still inside; she was currently watching Christmas cartoons while Gohan, Goten, Goku and Trunks were already outside.

Videl grabbed her coat, stuck on her Toque (I'm a Canadian, lol and I love my toque) pulled on her green boots and grabbed a pair of gloves the Son's had leant her. Once she was sure she wasn't forgetting anything she opened the door and closed it then turned around to see where the 4 sayians had gone.

"Hey? Where'd everybody-Oof!" Videl was cut short in mid-sentence as all 4 saiyans appeared and knocked her down with snowballs.

The snowballs didn't hurt, she knew they were throwing lightly so they wouldn't hurt her, but it still caught her by surprise.

Videl lay on the ground for a few seconds then realized what happened when she heard and 4 of them fall down and start laughing.

She then sat up and looked at all 4 of them sitting on the ground laughing, Trunks still managing to keep his new camera rolling.

"Well I'm glad you all take pleasure in my pain" Videl said as she pouted to try to get the full affect.

"Aww come on Videl. You know we would never hurt you on purpose. We like you too much!" Goku said as he wiped some tears that had come out from laughing so hard.

"Did we hurt you?" Gohan asked suppressing his laughter to show his concern.

"No you just surprised me," Videl said as she watched them slowly stand up.

As all 4 of them stood up and gave a confused looked because she made no movement to get up.

Videl gave a little laugh, the snow they threw at her didn't hurt, but they knocked her down a little hard and since the snow was so deep she got lodged in the snow and couldn't get up. She was stuck.

"Can someone help me up, I'm stuck" Videl said as she gave another laugh.

Both Goku and Gohan walked over to her and grinned to each other.

"What are you two smiling abouwaaaaaaa!" Videl was surprised as Gohan and Goku both grabbed one of her feet and picked her up so now she was hanging up side down. Both of them held her feet up so high that she was suspended upside down.

Both Goku and Gohan started to crack up as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave them an un-amused look. It was obvious she was trying to hide her laughter.

"What is this? Laugh at Videl day?" Videl asked as she looked down and noticed her hair, which was now hanging down as her toque fell off, even with her hair hanging down she was still about a foot off of the ground.

"You know" Goten started as his face contoured into one of concentration "When Videl's upside down like that and her hair is falling down she looks kinda like a sayian!" Goten said as he grinned at her.

Trunks zoomed the camera from Goten, to Gohan to Goku to Videl.

"Ha! Yeah she kinda does!" Trunks said as he turned his camera to Videl who still had a fake un-amused look on her face.

"I knew you two were tall but this is nuts! I'm like a foot from the ground!" Videl said as she looked up at the two who still had a strong grip on her feet. She knew for sure neither of them would drop her, since one was her amazing new boyfriend and the other his father who acted like her father.

"Can I come down now?" She asked weakly, as much fun as this was, she was getting a little dizzy from all the blood rushing to her head.

Gohan then put his hand down for her to grab as Goku followed his lead. Videl grabbed both of their hands as they pulled her up and let go of her feet.

"Thank you," She said as she was now securely standing flat on her own feet. Goku reached down and passed her the fallen hat and thanked him again.

"Trunks, why are you still filming? It maybe smart to put that inside for the snowball fight." Videl said as she noticed Trunks now fiddling with the video camera.

"I kept filming because I wanted to catch this on video, it was too funny! And yeah I'm putting it inside now.

Trunks ran into the house then was back outside within seconds.

"Lets have teams!" Goten exclaimed with excitement.

"I call Gohan!" Goku said as he grabbed his eldest son and flew to the other side of the house.

"Fine, Goten, Trunks your with me!" Videl said as both went in separate directions to plot their attack.

Vide had come up with a brilliant plan... except it didn't work very well. Goten and Trunks were supposed to fly and drop snowballs on top of Goku, then once Goku was being attacked Gohan would show up and it'd be a 3 on 1.

But instead of that this is what happened...

Goten and Trunks dropped the snowballs about a foot away from Goku, so it only startled him and when he scream Gohan came out and got both boys who weren't prepared for Gohan.

Videl jumped out to aid her fallen comrades when Goku threw a snowball that she narrowly ducked as it whizzed past her head. She looked back to watch it fly then looked back around only to get a face full of snow from Gohan.

"Ack! Gohan! That's cold! You got me right in the face. Now I have snow up my nose!" Videl exclaimed as she wiped the frozen liquid from her face.

Gohan grinned. "First off V, snow is supposed to be cold. And haven't you ever heard the saying 'keep your eye on the ball'? And I think your nose will live" Gohan said as he walked up to her and dusted some snow off her head.

"My nose will live? Gohan, for a genius, your such a dork sometimes" Videl said as she playfully glared at him.

"Guys! Lunch is ready!" Chi Chi said as she stuck her head out the door only to just be missed by a snowball from her husband.

"Goku! You nearly hit me! What are you trying to do? Kill me!" Chi Chi said as she looked at Goku grin sheepishly at her.

"Sorry hunny! You know I'd never kill you! I could never cook anything that well!" Goku said as he flashed her his famous grin.

"Goku has anyone told you that you stink at giving compliments?" Chi Chi asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Uhh... I don't believe anyone has said anything to me like that, why do you ask?" Goku said as he gave her a confused look.

Chi Chi sweat dropped. "Never mind come in you guys lunch is ready," she said as she opened the door for everyone to come in.

All 5 of them walked in only to be told to get changed so they wouldn't get sick.

After everyone was seated they all dug in to the hot food.

Once everyone ate lunch Videl stood up and started to take the dishes to the kitchen.

"Here let me help you" Gohan said as he stood up and took half the dishes and the dishes Videl was holding.

She smiled at him as she took the rest of the dishes. Just as she was walking out Bulma spoke up.

"Oh! Chi! I forgot to give you this" Bulma said as she pulled a capsule out of her pocket.

Chi Chi looked at the capsule that was now in her palm and raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?" She asked giving Bulma a confused look.

"I forgot to give it to you earlier. It's a dishwasher. I made it especially for sayians. So it looks small but really, it can fit all of these dishes inside of it." Bulma answered as Chi Chi smiled.

"This is great! That cuts down my cleaning time by like half! Videl, you don't have to wash the dishes Bulma gave me a dishwasher so your off the hook!" Chi Chi said as Videl and Gohan both walked into the room.

"Ok" was all Videl said as she took a seat again.

"I just got a great idea!" Goku exclaimed, startling a few people.

Once Goku was sure everyone was paying attention to him he spoke "Lets go skating! There's a TON of lakes around here so we could find a frozen one no problem!" he said as a few people started smiling.

"I...uhh... I don't have any skates! Guess that leaves me out!" Videl said nervously as she lowered her head a bit.

"No problem! I usually bring a capsule full of skates. We did it once so I bring them just incase I'm sure I have your size" Bulma replied as she started loading some dishes into the sayian dishwasher.

"Videl why are you worried? You were a figure skater before I died, and you won a ton of trophies! You probably skate better then anyone in this room!" Aaliyah said as she looked at Videl whose cheeks were growing redder by the minute.

"You were a figure skater?! I can't imagine you being one, I can only see you as a fighter!" Gohan said, as he looked shocked at her.

Aaliyah grinned with pride "Actually from what I recall she played hockey as well, but later quite to keep up with her training. But why are you so worried?" Aaliyah asked as she looked over to Videl who still had red cheeks.

"When you died dad would always make fun of me because I continued it. Then as I started to get older he told me that I didn't ... look the part of a figure skater and I packed it on a lot. So I joined hockey. But dad still found ways to poke fun so I kept on training and quite both" Videl said as she looked everyone where, trying to avoid everyone's questioning gaze.

Goku looked over Aaliyah to Videl then his gazed rested on his son. Gohan looked like he was about ready to blow his top so Goku stood up.

"Don't worry Videl. We all think you're cute! Now come pick out some skates and get outside and show us what you're made of!" Goku said as he pulled out her chair from the table.

Videl blushed at Gokus comment and meekly nodded her head.

Chi Chi grinned. "I haven't been skating in ages! Come on everyone there's a lake about 3 minutes from here!" she said as she came back from loading the dishes.

Everyone went and grabbed their coats, hats, gloves, scarves, whatever they felt they needed and went on their short journey to the lake.

Once they reached the lake Goku knocked over a tree so they could use it as a bench and everyone grabbed a pair of skates from Bulma.

Videl was still a little edgy about putting figure skates on. She was worried that they would make fun of her like Hercule did. But after receiving a reassuring smile from Gohan she sighed and laced up.

Videl stood up and walked on the ice.

She stood there for a minute before Gohan skated up to her.

"Hey! So will you give us a show? I know my dad and mom really wanna see it and so do the kids and I'm kinda eager to see you in action!" Gohan said as he stopped in front of her.

"I didn't know you could skate" Videl said trying to change the subject.

"Well when you live here all your life you need to find something to fill the time! So Bulma gave me hockey skates and I tried teaching Goten, like dad taught me but he still doesn't seem to pick it up" Gohan said as he looked at his brother who was being pulled by Goku and Chi Chi.

Videl simply nodded before Gohan asked his question again.

"So will you give us a little demonstration?" Gohan asked again.

"I don't know..." Videl trailed off as she looked at Gohan.

"Be right back" Gohan said as he skated over to his dad.

Videl raised an eyebrow as Goten let go of Chi Chi's hand and latched onto Gohans as he, Gohan and Goku skated over to her.

"Videl we wanna see you skate! Please?" Goten asked as he started giving her his puppy dog look.

"Look I don't think..." She trailed off again as Goku and Gohan joined in with the puppy dog looks.

How can she refuse them? They looked so cute!

She heaved a sigh. "Fine! But if I suck don't blame me, I haven't skated in a few years" she said as all three Son boys starting grinning.

"Can I warm up a bit first?" She said as she started stretching

"Ok! But in 5 minutes... we'll be waiting!" Goku said as Videl skated off.

Aaliyah skated up to Videl as Videl switched from skating forwards to backwards.

"What was that all about?" Aaliyah asked as she noticed Videl seems a little worried.

"They convinced me to perform. I really hope I don't break a leg doing this!" She said as she switched back to skating forward.

"Don't worry you'll do fine! I'll go clear everyone off the ice! And have Trunks get his camera!" Aaliyah said as she smiled and skated off.

Videl sighed as she stopped and started grabbing her toes to stretch.

"You know I'm really excited about seeing you do this" Gohan said as he skated up behind her, startling her a little.

Videl stood up and reached up. "Yeah well I'm glad you're enjoying this. Oh and by the way I'm gonna kill you after this. I haven't done this in awhile I'm probably just going to end up embarrassing my self. My dad was right I'm no figure skater!" Videl said as she started to get really nervous as everyone left the ice and sat down.

Gohan looked around and noticed they were the only two on the ice.

"You call kill me ok? Oh and your dads an idiot, I think your as pretty as ever and probably better looking then a figure skater. And if anyone laughs I'll beat them up k?" Gohan said as he leaned down to kiss her forehead

"Boo!!! Gohan! We want Videl not you! Get off the ice!" Gohan playfully yelled earning a blush from Gohan.

"Well I better sit down before he starts a riot" Gohan skated forward but turned around quickly "Good luck!" he said giving her two thumbs up and sat down.

She looked at the tree/bench as everyone looked at her expectantly.

"I'm gonna ease into it ok? And don't laugh too much? I haven't done this in awhile so if I'm rusty, don't say I didn't warn you!" Videl said as she took a deep breath.

"If I want to laugh I'll do as I damn well please!" Vegeta yelled back from his spot where Bulma forced him to sit.

"Vegeta! Shut up!" Bulma and Chi Chi said as both of them and Gohan glared daggers at him.

Vegeta gave a snort in response and kept quite.

Aaliyah looked at her daughter and smiled.

Videl took another deep breath to try and calm her nerves and pushed off and started skating.

Videl skated in a large circle, skillfully switching from forwards to backwards crossovers before she started to pick up speed.

As she picked up speed she prepared her self for her first trick.

'Here goes nothing!' She though as she leapt in the air and spun around 3 times and landed on her right foot. Then she started spinning around on both feet then lifted one up. (I'm no figure skated so I don't know many moves of what their called so bare with me k?)

She jumped and landed on one foot only to begin another jump.

Then she crouched down on one skate and extended her other leg out and grabbed it and spun around, while still spinning she stood up and grabbed the extended leg and pulled it up behind her head and spun around another 5 times.

Meanwhile she kept on doing tricks her audience was speechless.

"If that's what she's like when she's rusty she must be amazing!" Chi Chi exclaimed wide-eyed as she witnessed her sons' girlfriends' performance.

"I don't know why she was worried! She's incredible! And so graceful!" Gohan said, as his eyes still followed Videl's movements.

Aaliyah grinned with pride "I told you, now you see why she won all those trophies" she said as all fell silent.

Videl was starting to get a little tired so she decided she'd wrap it up with something big. So she did her switching back and forth while building speed then she skated as fast as she could and did a jump with 2 and a half spins, landed, did a flip in the air then when she landed spun around 3 times and stopped with one hand in the air the other on her hip, her head looking upwards and her feet positioned with one on an angle. (All and all the traditional ending pose I think).

Videl could feel her heavy breathing get heavier as no one responded.

'I didn't think I was that bad' She said as she looked up.

As soon as she dropped her pose Bulma, Trunks, The Son family, Krillian, Marron, Aaliyah and Tien stood up and cheered loudly. Even 18 and Piccolo managed to clap at her performance. Even Vegeta looked surprised but did his best to suppress him amusement.

"Videl Your dads an idiot! I can't believe how well you skate! That was incredible!" Bulma said as she skated up to her and hugged her.

"I...I wasn't that good, I probably could of been better and I wasn't very graceful" Videl said as she felt a heavy blush rise to her cheeks.

"That's my girl! I knew you could do it!" Aaliyah said as she joined Bulma in hugging the poor unsuspecting girl.

"My future daughter in law is amazing!" Chi Chi exclaimed making both Gohan and Videl blush heavily!

Goku grinned at her "And you thought you'd suck! That was better then the people on TV!" Goku said as he followed behind his wife.

Videl started to try to control her blush as the 2 women let go of her.

Chi Chi sighed happily as she stood in front of Videl.

"She cooks, she cleans, she smart-"Chi Chi was cut off by Gohan

"She can sing!"

"She can fight" Bulma added

"She plays hockey!" Trunks added, all the adults were talking he wanted in on it!

"She can skate, and she's really cute! Is there anything you can't do Videl?" Goku asked as Videls face went bright red.

"I can't draw, I can barley draw stick figures! And don't even ask me to sing, Gohans stupid I can't" Videl said as Gohan rolled his eyes at her.

Chi Chi grabbed both of Videls hands "When are you and Gohan going to get married? Oh I hope your kids are as talented as you are!" Then Chi Chi turned her gaze to Gohan.

"Why are you taking so long to propose to her?" Chi Chi asked as both blushed bright red.

"Mom! I just asked her out today!" Gohan managed to stammer out as everyone laughed at them.

After a few more minutes of complimenting Videl everyone skated off except Gohan and Goten.

"I can't believe you thought you wouldn't do well! Even Vegeta looked impressed at your performance. I thought you were amazing and your pretty dumb if you think other wise," Gohan said as he playfully nudged her.

Videl blushed again and said a quiet thanks.

"Videl?" Goten asked as he looked up at her.

Videl bent down to his eye level "What is it squirt?"

"Can you teach me how to skate? Gohan has tried but I can't seem to get it. Can you help me?" Goten asked as he tried to dig his foot into the ice only to fall flat on his face.

"Goten are you ok?" Gohan asked as he bent down on his knees to help his little brother up.

"Yeah I just hit my head, I'm ok" Goten said with a smile as Gohan picked him up and stuck him on his shoulders.

"Goten I'd love to teach you" Videl said as she smiled at the two brothers.

"How bout a ride first?" Gohan asked

"Yeah!" Goten exclaimed from his perch on Gohans shoulders.

"Come on!" Gohan said as he took hold on Videls have and started skating.

Videl turned around so she was skating backwards as she grabbed both of Gohans hands.

"So why did you quite skating again? Your so talented, it's a shame more people don't get to see you" Gohan said as he and Videl skated along the smooth ice surface, with Goten enjoying his ride on Gohans shoulders.

"Well I had first started to satisfy my mom. Then she died. I still wanted to do this for her so I kept at it till I was about... 13 maybe 14. My dad would always say something like 'did you see those other girls out there? Now that's talent! And talk about beautiful!' then as I got older it started to become 'Videl do you see how pretty those girls are? You don't even compare to them! Now there's talent and good looks! But unfortunately for you, you look like your mother, it's a shame really" And he convinced me I wasn't very talented so I quite after my last tournament" Videl said as she looked behind her to make sure no one was there.

"Then I played hockey. I played a guys sport because I wanted to try and impress dad. And you didn't have to have a nice figure to play hockey. But after I played one season he found ways to point out my flaws so I dropped that's the started training, in hopes of becoming stronger then him and impressing him" Videl said as she felt Gohans hand tighten around hers.

Videl looked up at Gohan and noticed he looked upset.

"Gohan is something wrong?" She asked slightly worried.

"Well..." Gohan trailed off. 'I shouldn't talk to her about this while Gotens here'

"Its nothing... Were gonna talk later ok?" he stated more then asked in a slightly serious tone.

"Um... Ok" 'Wonder what that's was about?' she thought as she looked at his serious expression.

She took her gaze away from Gohans face to look at the little boy on his shoulders.

"Hey Goten, you wanna learn to skate now?" She asked as he starting grinning wildly.

"Yeah! Hey Gohan I need you to put me down now" he said as he poked Gohans head.

Gohan reached up and put his brother gently on the ice.

"There you go squirt, I'm gonna go play tag with dad or something. I'll see you two later ok?" He said as he stood up and looked at the two.

"Yep! See you later!" They both waved as he skated off.

"Ok Goten. Skating is really easy. Its basically 1 2 3, see?" She said as she demonstrated.

Videl came back and grabbed both of Gotens hands and faced him so she was going backwards.

"Ok now you try"

Goten grabbed her hands and looked down "1... 2... 3... I think I'm getting it!" he said as he started skating forward.

Videl gently let go of his hands and he kept on going

"Goten! You're doing it! I thought you said you didn't know how to skate, your going to be better then me soon!" She said as he started to pick up speed.

Goten gave a little laugh as he kept going then he started heading towards his mom dad and big brother and realized he didn't know how to stop.

"Videl!! How do I stop?" He yelled just as he crashed into his dad who fell and brought Gohan and Chi Chi with him.

"Goten are you ok!" Videl asked as she skated over to the dog pile. She reached her hand down to the small boy who was on the bottom of the dog pile. Unfortunately for her when she pulled him that knocked someone's skate into hers causing her to fall flat on her butt.

"Ouch... I wanna new butt, that hurt," Videl said as she sat there and rubbed her backside.

"Videl are you ok?" Gohan asked as he finally stood up and offered her his hand.

"I'm fine, just a bruised butt" She said as she stood up, and rubbed her butt a few more times.

Videl looked around and noticed that a few people looked cold and tired, after thinking that she realized she was kinda cold too.

As if picking up her thoughts Gohan looked over to his parents.

"Maybe we should head back now it's getting a little cold" He said as he noticed Videl started to shiver a little.

'Man, winter in the mountain area is cold' she thought as she shivered a little.

Gohan took his black scarf off and wrapped it around Videl. Then he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Lets go take our skates off." He said as he led her to the tree/bench.

One by one everyone got off the ice and they headed back to the warmth of the house.

Once inside Goku started a fire in the fireplace while Bulma served coffee and hot chocolate while Chi Chi, Aaliyah, and 18 were in the kitchen starting supper.

Videl hugged her hot chocolate as she sat by the fire to warm up; Gohan came and sat beside her.

"So are you warm now?" He asked as he sat down, admiring the way the flicker of the flames danced on her face.

"Yes I am thanks" She looked out the window and noticed how it looked dark, most of the lights in the house were off, save the tree, the kitchen and the light from the TV.

"So where does everyone go? I mean its almost pitch black out so where does everyone go after supper?" She asked as she noticed the whole gang still talking about or watching TV.

Gohan looked around the room to see everyone then looked back at her.

"Well what we usually do is Bulma bring a few capsule houses and everyone spends the night in one then we have breakfast here then head over to Bulma's till January 2nd, so we spend Christmas here and new years at Bulma's" He said as he kept looking at her.

Videl looked down a pang of guilt inside of her. 'Maybe I should go home even if it's only for a day, I feel bad that I'm not spending Christmas with my dad...even though he never spends it with me' she though as she looked downwards.

Gohan almost sensed her mood change "Is something wrong Videl?" he asked as she raised her head.

'I can't tell him, he'd be too worried if I went back' she thought but quickly came up with something she wanted to say anyways.

"No it's just... How am I ever going to repay you? You and your family have done so much for me and I feel like I've done nothing to deserve it. And I even got you as a boyfriend; I certainly don't know what I did to deserve you. How can I make it up to you? I really want to" she said as she looked at him with a serious expression.

"Oh! That reminds me I forgot something, excuse me for a second." Gohan got up and motioned for Goten to follow him and Chi Chi soon followed.

Videl gave a confused look to Goku who had walked over and smiled at her.

A few seconds later Chi Chi, and Gohan appeared with a box in their hands and Goten appeared with a weird shaped gift.

Videl realized that they were gift for her and was about to protest when Goku put his hand over her mouth.

"Be quiet your getting gifts so you better smile and like them" Goku said playfully as he uncovered her mouth.

"How'd you know I was going to say something?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I heard you talking to Gohan saying you wanted to repay us, so I figured you'd want to protest" He said as Chi Chi stuck the box with red and green wrapping paper and a ribbon tied around it.

"This is from me and Goku, we weren't quite sure what to get you." She said as Videl stated to open the present slowly.

Inside the box was 2 training gi's. One looked similar to Gohans with the navy blue color and red waist sash, only it was designed in a more feminine way to hug the upper body and the other one was yellow with a purple waist sash.

"Wow! This is so cool! I needed to go out and get some new ones anyways... And I love these colors, how'd you know I liked them?" Videl asked as she stood up.

Goku grinned "Well if you think Gohan talks about you a lot now, you should of heard him before he asked you out! Chi asked him and he mentioned it. So we got all your information from Gohan!" Goku said causing Gohan to blush.

"Well thank you, I love them!" She said as she went over and gave Chi Chi a hug, then one to Goku.

"Videl open mine next!" Goten said as he plopped the weirdly shaped object in her lap.

Videl opened it up and saw a really cute snow flake teddy bear (I get them every year for Christmas! I love them!).

"Goten its adorable! I love teddy bears!" She said as she hugged Goten and gave him a kiss on the cheek causing him to blush.

"Yeah I know you like them" Goten grinned as she gave a confused look.

"How'd you know?" She asked as she looked at Goten who looked back with innocent eyes.

"Gohan strikes again!" Chi Chi said making Gohan blush again.

"Man Gohan, you know so much about me!" She grinned up making him blush a deeper red.

"I have a good memory. Anyways, here this is from me." He said as he passed her a small box with gold shimmery wrapping paper and a small ribbon.

She took off the wrapping paper and there was a black box with gold lining. She opened up the small box and gasped.

Inside was a necklace. The necklace itself looked to be very expensive. There was a heart attached to the necklace, the center of the heart was all a blue sapphire that was lined in diamonds on a white gold chain.

"I know you don't like to wear jewelry so I don't mind if you want to-"Gohan was cut off.

"Its so beautiful! How much did this cost?!" She asked as she stood up and held the necklace up to the light to get a better look at it.

"Uh... Your not supposed to ask the price of a presents. Besides I got a deal on it, being friends with Bulma has its perks! But as soon as I saw it I had to get it! I knew it wouldn't look great on anyone but you so-" Again Gohan was cut off by Videl wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Gohan I love it, its beautiful I'm never going to return it, especially since you gave it to me, can you put it on for me?" She asked as she held it up for him.

Gohan smiled and clipped the necklace on; Videl looked down and fingered it as she looked at it.

"Wow..." was all she could say as she looked at it.

"It looks really good on you" Gohan said as Videl walked up to him and smiled.

She looped her arms around his head and stood on her toes, and he leaned down, and then kissed him.

She broke the kiss off and smiled at him.

"You didn't have to get me a gift. You brought my mother back for me, you're letting me stay here and now I'm sure you spent a pretty penny on this. How can I repay you?" she looking up at him making him smile again.

"I'm happy, if you keep on being my girlfriend, and I can make you smile. That's plenty of payments." He said as he kissed her on the forehead as she stood on her feet.

"Well I thank all you, I love these gifts"

"Your welcome!" with that Goku grabbed Gohans arm and nodded to the kitchen.

In the Kitchen

"Gohan, How much did you spend on that? Videl's right it looks pretty expensive." Goku said, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well with Bulma I got a deal so I got half off, and yeah it was kind of expensive, but I had been saving my money for almost 8 years so I had some to spare." He said

"How much was it?" Goku asked once again.

"It was seven hundred and ten dollars." He answered making sure no one else was there.

"YOU SPENT SEVEN HUNDRED AND TEN DOLLARS ON A NECKLACE?!" Goku yelled in shock.

'So much for keeping it quiet' Gohan could tell everyone in the house heard that, since all conversation ceased.

"It was an original, so there's no other like it in the world. And I told you I got it half price." He said trying to keep his voice down. Just as he said the Videl walked in the room looks a little wide-eyed.

"You spent seven hundred dollars on me?" She asked still shocked by this piece of information.

"Don't worry its no-"

"Gohan I don't think I can take this" She said as she looked up at him, eyes starting to well up.

"Please! I want you to have it! I'll do any-"

"Gohan, you've already done so much for me to begin with! And now I find out you spent seven hundred and ten dollars on me. How am I going to repay you?" She said as a few tears managed to make their way down her face.

"Videl please!"

"I'm going to go and...clear my head... I'll be back later" she managed to get out as the rest of her tears started to come down.

Videl ran past everyone in the living room and ran up to her room.

"I don't get it... what did I do wrong? I thought it was a nice gift," Gohan said as his shoulders slumped and confusion gave way.

"Well for starters... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DOING DOWN HERE?" Chi Chi yelled at her son.

"But I though-"

"Gohan, go after her!" almost half the room yelled.

"Ok I'm going! Jeez..."he said as he made his way upstairs.

Gohan softly knocked on Videl's door.

"What do you want" came a strained voice from inside.

"Videl can I come in?" Gohan asked softly. After a minute of silence he assumed he said it too quietly so he walked in and closed the door.

"Go away" the weak voice offered.

"I'm afraid I can't do that..." He said, as she turned around, a little shocked it was him.

Gohan walked over to her and sat down in front of her "Look Videl, I'm not exactly sure what I did wrong, but I'm really sorry" he pleaded with her as she rubbed her eyes.

She gave off a small laugh "You didn't do anything wrong, figures, not only are you perfect physically and you're a genius, but you're the perfect boyfriend. I owe you so much! All you ever do is give give give! And it seems like I give nothing in return!" she said as she wiped her eyes.

"Videl, I want you to be happy. I would go to the end of the universe and back, if it would make you crack a smile. And I had bought the necklace last month; I was just trying to think of a time to give it to you. I had found it, just after we finished your training and I thought how I'd want to buy it for you someday. Then as time went on you and I started getting closer and closer. And I knew I had to get it. So I asked Bulma if she could give me a discount since it was kinda pricey. But I wanted to get it for you. I really did! Even before you and I started dating... even if that was only today we started dating"

He reached his hand out and wiped away some stray tears.

"Please don't cry. I hate it when you cry." He said as he wiped her face.

"Why?" she had to smile at his sincerity

"When you cry, it feels like my heart breaks just at the sight" as he said that her eyes looked like they were going to well up again.

"Ohh... Why did you have to go and say that?" She said as she put her head in her hands and started crying again.

Gohan reached over and embraced her in a warm comforting hug.

All they did was sit there while Gohan hugged Videl and let her get out what ever she wanted to get out.

Videl had her head buried in his chest. Gohan had his head lightly resting on her head and rubbed her back slightly while rocking her gently back and forth. Occasionally he'd give a "Shh its ok".

After about 20 minutes Videl had calmed down, but neither had said anything, they just enjoyed the embrace.

Videl found it very comforting to be in the embrace of a man she cared for so deeply. She felt warm, safe, and felt like anything could happen and she would be safe, just from the embrace.

'How can someone love someone when they've barley dated? It isn't normal... Then again this isn't a normal guy.'

Videl could feel her self-starting to drift to sleep.

Just as she closed her eyes there was a knock at the door.

Gohan looked up and stopped rubbing Videl's back when he heard the knock.

He heard Videl mumble something and dig her head in his navy blue turtleneck (when they got changed, Gohan changed into a navy blue turtle neck and dress pants k?)

He blushed a little but looked to the door that was now open a crack and Goku's head stuck through.

He gave Gohan a look that asked 'is-she-ok?' and Gohan simply nodded then Goku spoke.

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt but dinners ready and your mom wont let anyone eat until you two are down ok? And I'm kinda hungry...so if possible could you hurry up?" he said as he scratched his head and leaned on the doorframe.

They heard a muffled laugh and both looked down at Videl.

She pulled her face away slightly from Gohans chest "We'll be down in a minute Goku, Think you can wait that long?" she asked in a joking tone of voice.

Goku grinned, "I'll try!" then he disappeared downstairs.

Videl covered her mouth and yawned "Man... I'm so tired...you know you are really comfortable to rest on?" she mumbled out as she closed her eyes again.

"Uh no I can't say I did no that. Oh well I'm kinda hungry, how bout we go downstairs before everyone gets worried but Videl there just one thing I wanted to ask you" he said as Videl started to get up.

"Shoot"

"Will you keep the necklace please? ... It'd mean a lot to me" he pleaded with her.

"I will... but I'm going to make this all up to you some how"

Gohan grinned, "Deal" and with that they walked downstairs Gohan holding Videl's hand pulling her to the table a little quicker.

Once they sat down Chi Chi gave the signal and the feast began. Everyone dished themselves out some food while the sayians inhaled it all.

"Videl can I ask you something?" Chi Chi said stopping Videl in mid bite.

"Sure" she said as she put her fork down and turned to give her full attention to Chi Chi.

"Well, how come you don't start skating up again? I don't know if you were a chubby child or not, but now your pretty tiny so no one could say you could don't have the body for it, and your so talented! It's a shame to let that much talent go to waste." She said as she popped some turkey in her mouth.

"Well for starters I'm probably not able to compete with girls my age because of my skill level, they've been practicing basically all their lives! Second, I personally think my dads right, I don't have the talent or looks for it. And third. Have you seen how tiny and pretty those girls are? There's no way I could compete with them!" She said as she lowered her eyes to her plate and ate some stuffing.

"You know she right" Gohan said receiving a glare from his mother.

"Gohan! How could you say such a thing!" Chi Chi said as she was getting ready to give her son an earful, Videl and almost everyone else was shocked that Gohan, the one who practically worshipped the ground this woman walked on, though he wouldn't admit it, had said such a thing.

Gohan looked up and swallowed the food in his mouth and took a drink.

"You didn't let me finish. What I was going to say is she's right. 1. She's way to good for girls her age, she'd embarrass them all after all of they're practicing. 2. She couldn't compete with their size because she's small enough as it is and her face would put them to shame... But the one thing I disagree is well... Her dads a moron who couldn't spot talent if it was 100 feet tall with flashing neon lights." He said as he looked at his mother who looked a little surprised then started smiling like crazy.

Once everyone started smiling at Gohan, he, like Videl blushed and started eating his food again.

"Well I agree fully with Gohan. But it's still a shame. You could go so far, you could be competing professionally you're that good!" Chi Chi said, as Videl blushed more.

"You know Videl I noticed you blush a lot when your complimented is there a reason for that?" Goku said, surprising everyone as he stopped eating.

"Uhh...well...I...and then..." she stuttered as she tried to come up with an excuse but failed miserably.

"Do you not believe us or something?" Goku asked once again, his face looked as though he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Well..." she trailed off, she was caught and she knew it.

"Oh my gosh you don't believe us!?! I bet it has something to do with that jerk of a father of yours" Chi Chi stated angrily.

Videl looked up at Gohan with a pleading look and he nodded but gave a face that said 'you're-gonna-explain-this-to-me-later' and spoke up.

"Hey guy how about we don't play 20/20 with Videl ok? Mom this turkey is really good!" he said as he took another mouth full of turkey and stuffing.

"I have a question," Aaliyah said as she put down her fork.

"What is it mom?" Videl asked as she looked at her mom.

"Well, where am I sleeping, I don't think I could go back home, and so where am I staying... that is if no one minds." She asked as Bulma now put her fork down to listen.

"This house is a little crowded, you can stay in our capsule house, then come over to my house, it's a tradition so don't worry about room and stuff. We literally have like 75 bedrooms alone." She said as she scooped up some cranberry sauce.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" She asked also taking a mouth full of food.

Bulma shook her head no then swallowed.

"I couldn't eat another bite! Chi I don't know how you do it every year but it gets better and better!" Bulma said as she wiped her mouth.

"Man! If I died again, I could die a happy man after that meal" Goku said as he pushed out from the table slightly and stretched.

After everyone else complimented Chi Chi, Gohan stood up.

He started piling some plates up and grabbing bowls.

"Gohan what are you doing?" Chi Chi asked as she stood up and started grabbing a few plates.

"Don't worry mom, I can take care of it, you've worked hard enough today, go out in the living room and rest a little." He said as he took the plates from her.

Chi Chi looked and nodded dumbly when Videl pushed out of her chair and started grabbing bowls and plates.

"I'll help to," she said as she carried her plats to the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen Gohan spoke up. "You know you don't have to help with the dishes, I can load them," he said as he opened the dishwasher and started loading it up.

"Well I was capable of doing it last time and you insisted on helping, so I'm doing the same. Besides, if you're going to let me stay here a little longer, I should pull my weight a little" she said as she started loading the dishes after he finished.

Videl turned around only to have Gohan grab her face and put his forehead on hers.

"You can stay as long as you like, and you know that. You don't have to pull your own weight. Were not expecting you to go out and chop wood or anything. So don't feel as though you have to save the earth to repay us, we're all very happy to do it" Gohan said as he kissed her nose and forehead.

Videl smiled. "You are just too sweet you know that?" she said as she hugged him.

Gohan chuckled "Well I guess the saying is true, you are what you eat!"

"Ah! So Mr. Perfect has a weakness for sweets eh?" she said as she poked him in the stomach only to feel it rock hard. 'And I'm surprised why?' she asked herself.

Gohan smiled "I'll have you know, I'm for the most part a healthy eater, but I like everyone else do like to indulge in some sweets here and there. Oh and I'm not perfect" he said as he poked her in the stomach.

Videl raised her eyebrow and grinned up at him, as he raised an eyebrow, though they couldn't see it they could feel it since their foreheads were still together.

"But if you are what you eat you're implying you eat a lot of sweets" She said as she looked up at him.

"Uh... Ha ha I guess it does!" he said as he gave a huge grin and laughed. Videl joined in soon after.

After laughing for a few minutes Videl gave a sigh.

"Gohan don't ever change. Your gonna get one lucky lady!" Videl said as she rubbed her eyes a little.

Gohan blushed a little. "Well I already think I found a very special person and she's making me feel like the luckiest guy around" he said as he smiled slightly.

Videl blushed and gave a small smile.

"Your too good for me" she said as she kissed him then pulled away.

"Hey Gohan can I ask you something?" she said as she lifted her forehead away from his, but still had her arms wrapped around his trim waist.

"Well you just asked me something but I'll let it slide," he said as he looked down and flashed her a grin.

Videl just smiled then spoke. "Would you mind if I go to... Erasa house, it'll only be for a night. I just feel kinda bad for not calling her or something," Videl said as she looked down and shifted a little.

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "You know Videl, You say I'm bad at lying, I can't exactly say I'm buying what your saying. Where do you really want to go?" he said as he lifted her head so she'd look at him.

Videl bit her lip slightly and avoided his face; those eyes could make her spill anything!

Gohan studied her for a minute then came to a realization.

"You want to go home don't you? I didn't realize you were so unhappy here." He said as he let go of her face and looked a little crest fallen.

Videl grabbed Gohans face and forced him to look at her.

"Don't you dare think that I'm very happy here!" she said sternly.

"Then why do you want to go home?" He asked as he looked up at her with sad eyes.

"I just feel a little bad for not spending Christmas with my father. I only want to go back for 1 day. Please don't be mad at me..." Videl trailed off as she looked at him.

"But it's not safe! What if he hurts you again? I'd never forgive myself if he hurt you." Gohan let go of Videl and looked at her with worried eyes.

Videl smiled at him, this man was so sweet to her.

"Gohan, I know, but I feel really bad I mean he is my father after all. And even if I do get hurt, its my fault for going, not yours, so don't even think about blaming yourself. I know you blame yourself when no one else thinks it was your fault"

"What?" he said a little startled.

Videl sighed, "Gohan remember cell? I've been told a few times about how you blamed yourself for your dads death. When no one else felt that way, not even him. So this is like then. It's not your fault. It's my choice, just like it was your dads. You can't control our choices." She said as she watched him look down.

Gohan looked down on her "No I can't control your choices, but I can control my actions, which could prevent or could have prevented those thing."

Videl reached up and looped her arms around his neck and smiled.

"Gohan, I wont do this if you really don't feel comfortable with it. But all I want to do is spend one night there. I could go there tomorrow afternoon, and comeback the morning after."

Gohan sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist "You can go... I don't like it but who am I to stand in your way?" he said as she starting grinned up at him.

"You're my boyfriend and if it's something that could harm me then I want you to be a little worried. I mean don't be heartless!" she said as she stuck his tongue out at him.

Gohan grinned back "You have no idea how good it feels to hear the words boyfriend and my name together with out 'not' in the middle"

"Oh I have an idea. You know I had a crush on you when you were sayiman? Sure I thought you were a major dork but cute in a way."

"You had a crush on sayiman?" Gohan asked in fake shock.

Videl blushed "No need to rub it in, its embarrassing enough. Why did you think I wanted to know your identity?"

"So you could blackmail me into something I didn't want to do" He said with an eyebrow raised.

Videl blushed again "Sorry, about blackmailing you and stuff. But I don't regret it. When you were teaching me to fly I really enjoyed the time with you. Best weeks of my life!" she said as he blushed.

"Its ok, and I didn't mind either. I was happy; I was FINALLY going to get to know THE Videl outside of school, and away from the crime fighting. I was positive there was more to you then you let on"

Videl was about to reply when another voice came in.

"You know for a couple that just started going out a few hours ago you sure are close," Goku said as he was leaning on the doorframe. He looked at Gohan and Videl. They were standing in the middle of the kitchen, Videl's arms wrapped around Gohan's neck and Gohan's arms pulling her safely against him.

Both teenagers pulled apart blushing madly.

Goku gave a laugh "Hey don't worry it's a good thing! I think it's a sayian thing. Me and your mom were close when we first started dating, funny how first loves work eh?" He said making both blush a darker red.

"Dad what are you doing in here?" Gohan said to change the subject.

"Oh your mom sent me in here to get coffee and hot chocolate for everyone, then were all just going to sit around the fire and talk, the kids are already starting to get drowsy" he said as he looked at Videl and noticed she too looked tired.

Gohan noticed Goku looking at her and raised an eyebrow as she covered a yawn.

Both gave a laugh.

"And by the looks of it Videl looks like she's going to drift off soon too." Goku said as he now watched her rub her eyes slightly.

"I'm not yawn tired" she said as she finished rubbing her eyes.

"Ha! And I thought Gohan was bad at lying" Goku said as he watched her.

"Hey! You suck at lying too dad. I've never seen you get away with one lie to mom" Gohan retorted trying to defend himself.

"Listen, you both suck at lying. Gohan you stutter and put your hand behind your neck like Goku does. And Goku, no offence but I think when it come to women you don't have much backbone unless there trying to kill everyone" She said drawing the attention of father and son.

Gohan laughed at his dad only to have his dad shoot back.

"Gohan, I got news for you. You haven't stood up to Videl yet! You may argue back but in the end she wins. I heard about her going back to her house. You caved. You don't have much backbone against women either! You're just like me!" Goku said as he stuck his tongue out and pulled an eyelid down to his older son.

"That thing about her house was different! I felt bad!" Gohan said pathetically trying to stand up for himself.

"Ah but you caved none the less. Again, your just like me, if you argue back, you feel bad and eventually cave"

Gohan crossed his arms a small pout on his face.

Videl looked at the two and laughed.

"You know for grown men you both act and fight like kids." She said as she tried to suppress her giggles.

"What do you mean?" Both said in unison and both arched an eyebrow.

"Gohan you pouted and Goku, you pulled your eye lid down and suck your tongue out! Hehehe... I've seen Goten and Trunks argue like that" She said covering some laughs.

Both again grinned and stuck their hands behind their heads.

"Ha ha that's so cute how you two do that in perfect unison!"

Goku shook his head.

"I'm going to get the coffee and stuff. I believe there's been a seat saved for you two on the couch so you should probably go claim it before its taken" Goku said as he put water into the kettle and turned the coffee maker on.

"Ok I'm gonna go sit down, I am getting a little tried" Videl said as she walked out of the room.

Gohan watched her leave then turned to his dad.

"How'd you know she was going to go home tomorrow?" he asked he took some coffee cups out of the cupboards.

"Well I didn't know it was tomorrow I just caught the tail end of it. You saying you didn't like that idea." Goku looked up at Gohan and noticed he visibly stiffened. "You really don't like the idea of her going home do you?" he said as Gohan turned around after getting the cups out and sat on the counter.

"I've gotten used to her here and I really enjoy her company. But I'm scared as hell that she'll go back and I'll never see her again. When her mother talk to me in my dream she said that if I let Videl go home she'd be in trouble and she didn't want her to end up where she was, when she was dead. I'm really worried about her..." Gohan trailed off as he looked at his dad and noticed he followed his lead and sat on the counter.

"You know something tells me.... That there's something else bothering you," he said as he studied the look on his sons face.

"Yeah there is. Her mom talked to me. She said Videl would get sick again. But that's not what's bothering me. Dad how do you bring up a persons confidence?" Gohan asked as he lifted his head.

"That depends. What do you mean?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Well when I talked to Videl's mom she asked me to watch out for her saying she didn't want Videl to take any more blows. I asked her what she meant by that and she said Hercule not only abused her physically but emotionally and mentally as well. She said that Hercule has caused a down spiral in Videl's confidence. That's why she's a tomboy and a fighter, to lose weight and tone up."

He looked his father in the eyes "Dad, Hercules made her believe she's some ugly fat girl with no hope of anything. She told me when we were skating how her dad would say stuff like 'now that's real talent' or 'you see how pretty she is? That's why you'll never win', this was when she skated and that's why she quit. I want her to feel better but I'm not sure how to help her." Gohan finished then started rubbing his face.

"So she believes what her father says?" Goku questioned.

"Yeah I think she feel that because someone she loves and who's supposed to love her is saying this it must be true so she takes it to heart. How can I help her?"

"To be honest I think your going the right way now. Just keep going on how you are. I've seen the way you shower her with affection. How can a female not feel good after that?" he asked earning a blush from Gohan.

"Anyways, let gets everyone their coffee then in about an hour we'll go out for the fireworks," Goku said as he poured the drinks and stuck them on the tray.

Gohan grabbed the second tray and walked out and gave everyone their requested drink.

Gohan then sat beside Videl and put his arm around her shoulders and felt her lean her head on his shoulder and suppress a yawn.

"You getting tired?" Gohan asked as he noticed her hold her drink with half lidded eyes.

"Yeah. I'm kinda cold too, I think that's making me tired as well." She said as she started rubbing her eyes.

"Well do you think you'll be able to last an hour? Then were going to do fireworks and probably go to bed after that"

"If I fall asleep during the movie wake me up for the fireworks ok?" she mumbled.

Gohan laughed as her words came out slurred.

"Gotcha, Do you want to lay down? I can move if you'd like."

"I don't want to make you move, I'll live." She said covering a yawn.

"Stand up for a second I have an idea" he said as he helped her stand up.

Once she stood up Gohan stretched out on the love seat and Videl gave him a funny look.

"Well now that you're comfortable where am I sitting?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

Gohan gestured her to come toward him, when she did he pulled her down so she was lying on top of him.

"There now no one gets kicked off and you can lay down"

Videl smiled a tired smile up at the grinning Gohan and sighed contently and looked at the TV screen. They were watching The Grinch who stole Christmas, they were at the part where Cindy-Lou-Who was singing 'where are you Christmas?'.

Gohan was watching the movie when he felt Videl shifting. He looked down and was about to ask what she was doing when he noticed she was sound asleep. He smiled at the way she looked. Her face was pressed up against his chest, so it looked kinda smushed to one side, with a few pieces of hair cascading down her face. Her breathing was shallow. She had one hand on his chest while the other gripped loosely around his waist.

She had one leg slightly hanging down and the other was intertwined with Gohans.

Gohan noticed that she was slightly shivering, seeing as before she complained about being cold. So he wrapped his arm around her waist and stroked her hair lightly.

He looked over to her still full cup of hot chocolate the she had placed on the table and grinned.

'I'm glad she finds me warmer then that' he said as he looked down at her and smiled and leaned down and kissed the top of her head and turned his attention back to the TV, still absently stroking her hair.

"Goku, do you see our son?" Chi Chi whispered from her spot leaning on Goku

Goku lifted his head and glanced over at Gohan and Videl on the loveseat (Just in case none of you know what I'm talking about, that 2 seated couches k?) and saw Gohan lying down, still propped up by the back of the couch stroking Videls hair while watching TV. His arm was around her waist securely while her hand lightly griped his waist. Their legs were intertwined.

Goku smiled. "I do see," he said as she looked up at him.

"Our boy is in love Goku! I don't care if he denies it, it's so obvious! That right there is love, on a couch!" she said with hearts in her eyes.

"And he couldn't of chosen a better person, Videl is perfect for him!" she said as she leaned into Goku.

Goku only nodded and looked at his son.

'He's got nothing to worry about, I'm positive he'll help her confidence level' Goku though as he returned back to the screen.

After an hour, the movie was over.

The kids looked a little sleep but excited to see the fireworks.

Goten ran over and turned the lights on.

"Gohan why is Videl asleep?" Goten asked as he walked over to his brother to see Videl asleep on him.

"Videl's had a pretty exciting day today. When people have busy and exciting days it can leave them pretty tired." Gohan answer quietly. He looked up and saw the adult stand up, a few grinning at him; he just rolled his eyes at them.

Goten nodded then went with his parents to get his coat and watch them set up.

As everyone filed out of the house Aaliyah walked over and smiled.

"I think its sweet the way you take care of her. She looks pretty comfy laying on you, you know?" She grinned as she earned a blush from him.

"Uh... no I didn't know. I told her I'd wake her up anyways. So I'm going to wake her up now," He said.

Aaliyah nodded and turned to walk away. "I'll go get you stuff ok?" once she received a nod from Gohan she went back.

'Man I hate to wake her up..." he gently shook her.

"Videl, you told me to wake you up. We're going to watch fireworks now." He whispered as she started to stir.

"Mhhh" she mumbled as she turned over on him and lazily looked up at him.

"Did I fall asleep on you?" she whispered quietly.

She received a nod.

She blushed and sat up, now sitting on his legs.

"Sorry, you really are comfy to lay on" she grinned up at him "Best nap I've had in a long time" she said earning a blush.

"Its ok. And I'm glad I could help you out" he said playfully as she stood up slowly and lifted her arms to stretch.

Videl covered a yawn again, as her mom came into the room with hers and Gohan's coat.

She saw her daughter and smiled "Did you have a good sleep? You didn't look like you wanted to wake up." She said as she handed them their coats.

"To be honest I didn't, I feel completely drained" she said as she zipped up her coat.

"So Gohans comfy to lay on I take it?" She asked receiving a blush and a nod.

"We should probably go out now, there probably ready now," Gohan said as he walked towards the door, Videl and Aaliyah in toe.

Goku looked around and did a head count.

Good, everyone's here.

"Ok we'll be ready in about 2 minutes ok?" he said as everyone looked at him expectantly after receiving a nod he went back to what he was doing.

Goku and Krillian continued to fiddle away in the mean time.

Gohan saw Videl standing a little in front of him and shivering slightly.

'I guess she hasn't gotten used to winter out here yet' he though as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Videl gave a surprised gasp and whipped her head around to see whose arms were around her.

When she looked up she saw Gohan smiling softly at her.

"I'm sorry to startle you, you looked cold. I can let go if you prefer. Or if you want, I'll just use a bit of my energy and use it to warm you up a little" he said as she smiled back.

"Its ok, I'm just not used to someone so warm holding me. And I like you holding me" She blushed a little "If you wouldn't mind, I could use a little of your energy to warm up. Mine doesn't seem to be working" She said leaned back on him.

All of a sudden Videl felt as if someone had covered her in a nice warm soft blanket. She instantly felt cozy.

"Wow... that works fast, I feel so comfy!" she said as she turned and wrapped her arms around his trim waist and leaned into his chest.

"Glad I could help you out" he said as he gave her a squeeze.

They both kept quite just enjoying their embrace. Gohan suddenly heard Videl exclaim, "That's it!" quietly. It was so quiet that he barley heard it.

"What's it?" He whispered.

He heard her hum a tune and nod in satisfaction.

"Huh?" she asked as she noticed him looking at her

"I said, what's it?" he repeated again, whispering.

Videl blushed a little.

"My mom and I started working on a song, like a day before she died. She had written music for it and I was supposed to write words, a mother daughter project. I've been working on words for it, every now and then. And inspiration sparked me for the chorus. I could never think of something for the chorus and I just got an idea that might just work." She said with a thoughtful look on her face.

"What was your inspiration?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

She blushed a bright red. "I...was...umm...thinkingaboutyouandhowhappyiamtobewithyousoithouhgtofsomethingforthechorus!"

Gohan looked at her and gave a small laugh.

"Ok I get credited as a genius but I didn't understand a word you said, can you say it a little slower? I promise I wont laugh," he said as she blushed an even darker red.

"I said 'I was thinking about you and how happy I am to be with you so I thought of something for the chorus'" she replied blushed, expecting him to burst out laughing in a few seconds. When the laughing never came she saw Gohan with a small pink blush touching his cheeks and he smiled at her.

"Can I hear what you thought of?"

"I'm not going to sing it.... But I guess I could tell you my chorus..."She took a second to rethink the spoke quietly

"So I lay my head back down, and I lift my hands and pray to only yours I pray to be only yours I know now you're my only hope..."she looked up again expecting to see amusement dancing in those obsidian eyes.

But when she looked up she saw a small smile gracing his handsome features, with love? Dancing in his eyes.

"Will you sing it to me sometime?" he asked softly.

"What?" she asked caught off guard by his question.

"I'd like to hear you sing it, with music. What instruments does it require?"

"Uhh... a piano and a violin I think...why?" she asked, eyebrow arched.

"Bulma has a piano, and I'm positive she has a program, where it scans the music then can play the selected music and instrument. So will you sing it to me?" he asked noticing she got edgy.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"Well, from what I heard of your singing, you have a voice to reckoned with. And if you really meant what you said about me" he blushed here "And you mean the words in the whole song, so basically if it comes from the heart. It will sound even better." he said as he rubbed her cheek to warm it up a little.

"Ok, but only for you ok? And promise me, no laughing at it, not matter how bad I am" she said with a shy smile.

"Videl, you know I wouldn't laugh at you, especially if you're trying hard. Will you promise me you'll sing it?" he asked leaning down to eye level still holding her.

"Promise" she whispered.

Both could feel them selves leaning in for a kiss,

BOOM!

Gohan instinctively held Videl closer to him for protection, and she buried her head in his chest.

Then they both heard Goku laughing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" he yelled while grinning.

Both smiled at looked up at the sky to watch the fireworks.

An array of blue, gold, red, greens, yellows and purple showered the sky for about 45 minutes.

During those minutes, Videl still didn't want to leave Gohan's warmth. So all she did was turn around and lean back on him contently. Gohan had his arms wrapped around her shoulders and she loved it.

She just couldn't get enough of this man! He offered her so much. And he'd do anything for her. How was she so lucky to meet someone so perfect?

Videl felt her self shiver, and then felt Gohans arms move down to her middle and held her closer to him.

Videl smiled then sneezed and coughed a little.

'Great, I just got over a sickness and now I'm catching a cold' she though when she felt Gohan shift again.

She was going to look up at him but he beat her to the punch.

"Are you ok?" he whispered into her ear.

Videl felt another chill run down her spin as his hot breath went passed her ear.

She looked up at him and smiled.

"You know I think you worry too much about me. And yes, thank you I'm fine, I think I might be catching a cold or something."She said as a small smile graced his features.

"I worry about you because I care about you," he said with a small blush.

Videl smiled at him and leaned up.

Gohan assumed she wanted to whisper something to him so he leaned down only to have Videl capture his mouth and a tender kiss.

Gohan smiled and returned the kiss. Both Teens froze when they heard a click followed by giggling.

Chi Chi has turned to take a few pictures of everyone watching the fireworks. Bulma and Aaliyah were talking with 18 about something. While Krillian and Yamcha stood with the kids. Vegeta was leaning on a tree, as was Piccolo. She was holding Goku's hand watching the fireworks. Then she turned around and saw the cutest scene.

Gohan had his arms wrapped around Videl's middle with Videl leaning her back on his chest. As if that was cute enough just as she turned Videl leaned her head up to the side and Gohan leaned down and they shared another sweet kiss.

She couldn't resist the chance to get a picture of this!! She clicked the camera and took a picture and couldn't help but giggle at how cute it was.

She assumed both teens heard her because they both froze and then slowly separated.

They both slowly shifted their gaze to meet Chi Chi.

When Gohan heard the click he instantly knew his mother must have had something to do with it.

Gohan, who didn't want to end his and Videls little moment, pulled away sadly.

Both looked over saw Chi Chi grinning like mad.

"That was the CUTEST thing I've ever seen!" she squeaked happily.

Both teens blushed and stepped apart.

Videl instantly missed Gohan warmth.

Chi Chi looked like she was about to say something else but Goku spoke up first.

"Ok guys that's the fireworks show! Its now" Goku paused at looked at Chi Chi's watch "Its now 10:32. So how about we go inside, Bulma will give out the capsule houses and we'll call it a night." He said as he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder to warm her up a little.

A few people nodded the trudged back in the house. Videl was walking a little faster then the others.

After Gohan's body warmth was gone she was freezing cold and couldn't warm back up.

As everyone filed into the small cottage home Bulma went to her purse as the Son's and Videl took their coats off.

Bulma took her gloves off then handed them to Vegeta. She passed everyone a capsule.

"Ok so we'll go out in the front and set them up. Then tomorrow morning saw around 8:30? We'll go in for breakfast then around lunch we'll head over to my place. Sound good to everyone?" After receiving various nods

Aaliyah walked over to Videl.

"Sweetie I'm going to sleep in Bulma's capsule house ok?" she said, as she stood in front of the still shivering Videl.

Videl smiled then nodded.

Aaliyah hugged her daughter tightly for a few seconds then reached an arms length apart.

Her faced show one of concern. "Videl hunnie, are you ok? Your shivering like mad." She said as she watched her daughter shiver and wipe her eyes.

"I'm fine mom, I'm just a little cold and yawn excuse me, Good night." She said with a tired smile.

"Good night sweetie" she said, hugging Videl once again. When they pulled apart Aaliyah spoke again.

"God, I can't believe how beautiful you are. I'm very glad I was brought back to life to see you. Gohan I can't thank you enough" She said as Videl blushed and Gohan put his hand behind his head and smiled.

"It was nothing. I was happy to do it," he said, being modest.

Aaliyah smile 'You have no idea' she though.

"Well Good night everyone! It was a pleasure meeting all of you. Thank you for letting me eat here and all!" she said while waving as everyone else said good night and walked out side, pushed the plunger on the capsules and soon the yard was filled with 4 extra houses.

Chi Chi closed the door.

"Well that was an eventful day. But I'm bushed. I'm going to bed, as are you... Goten? Where are you?" she asked noticing her youngest son not standing beside her anymore.

"He's right here mom," Gohan said as he picked up the sleeping Goten.

"I'll put him to bed, I'm going to turn in as well" Gohan said as he walked back to his parents in his girlfriend.

Goku looked over to Videl and noticed she looked like she was about to fall asleep then and there.

"Your still tired, even after your nap on Gohan?" Goku asked causing Gohan to blush.

"I think I'm catching something again I feel... completely drained" she said as her eyelids dropped.

Chi Chi gasped.

"You go get changed right now and go straight to bed!" She said pushing Videl up the stairs.

She pushed Videl in her room and closed her door.

Behind her Goku and Gohan were watching the scene with amusement.

"Good night Videl!" Chi Chi said through the door.

She received a good night back then she turned to her son.

"Good night sweetie. I'm proud of you for what you've done today" she said as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Good night mom, love you!" he said as she walked to her room.

Goku walked out of the bathroom and over to his son who had just put the younger son to bed.

"Gohan, it looks like she's getting sick again," Goku said looking at Videls door.

"Yeah I know" Gohan said in a worried tone of voice.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine. Anyways I'm going to bed. Good night Gohan, tell Videl I say Good night as well" Goku said as he turned.

"Good night dad!" Gohan said as Goku walked into his room to sleep for the night.

Gohan walked into his room to change into some warm pj's.

Videl had just finished getting changed when she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth when she saw Gohan walk in front of her, and grab her toothbrush.

'And I thought he looked cute in day clothes' Videl thought as she studied Gohan. He was in plad green, navy blue and black pajama pants. And was wearing a white tank top.

She walked in and stuck toothpaste of her brush and started brushing her teeth, Gohan doing the same thing.

After Videl leaned down to spit she felt a throbbing on her temples. She winced and grabbed her head with her free hand.

Not going unnoticed by Gohan of course.

"Videl is something wrong?" he asked as she stood up right still holding her sore head.

"Gohan could you do me a big favor?" she asked quietly.

"Anything" he said still studying her.

"Can you get me your strongest Tylenol or what ever pain reliever please? I've got a killer headache." She said rubbing her temple.

"Sure" he said and walked out of the bathroom.

Videl sat down on the edge of the bathtub and closed her eyes and leaned her head on the cool tiles.

Gohan walked in and saw her like this. He leaned down in front of her and put his elbows on her knees. She lazily opened her eyes to see him looking at her.

He held out a hand with a purple pill and a glass of water.

"This stuff works like a charm on sayians. For a human though, it should take the pain away in about 2 minutes and knock you out completely. Not that you'll need any help falling asleep," he said as he rubbed her knee a little.

She smiled at him. "Thank you so much, I really mean it."

His face contoured into one of confusion. "All I did was get you Tylenol," he said.

"I mean for everything you did for me today, I cannot thank you enough for giving me my mother back." She said as she leaned her forehead on his.

"Your welcome. Now can I ask you a question?" he asked her.

Videl smirked "Well you just did but I'll let it slide," she said as he laughed a little.

"Are you wearing my clothes?" he asked with a grin as she blushed.

"Y-yeah I am," she said looking down.

He gave a chuckle "Why? Don't you have anything else other then those old things?"

She smiled shyly up at him "Yes I do have other things to wear but the first time I wore them I found them very comfy, and it helped me sleep, and they're really warm. Besides they smell good." She said causing him to blush.

Gohan stood up and reached his hand out to her.

"Well I guess that's a good enough reason" both walked out of the bathroom and stood in front of their respective rooms.

Videl smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck while he put hers around her waist.

"Good night" he whispered as he leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Good night" she whispered back and gave him another kiss, this one like the first one they shared. After the separated Gohan gave her a few butterfly kisses trailing her jaw then captured her mouth in his again.

When they separated again Videl was grinning up in satisfaction.

"This has been the best Christmas I've ever had." She whispered as she touched her lips lightly.

He smiled then whispered.

"Merry Christmas Videl"

"Merry Christmas Gohan"

They both shared another hug then slowly separated into their rooms. Each to fall into a blissful sleep, thinking about the one they love.

OK! There's chapter 9! I was at least 7! Count em 7 reviews! Then I will post again. I've already started writing the next chapter. So I get my reviews I post, I don't then it's a no go for posting!

Hope you enjoyed it, if you have ideas comments, questions don't be afraid to ask/say them!!

Later Dayz!


	10. The Days After

Chapter 10

She ran. She didn't know where she was running but she had to escape the man trailing her. She was at the part in the nightmare where the piercing blue-eyed menacing man was chasing her. She panted as her breath started to get caught up in her lungs.

"What do you want from me?" Videl screamed in absolute horror.

"I'm going to kill you. Just like your worthless mother. This scene seems familiar. Oh I know how to make it perfect. You have to run up the stairs, I will shoot your leg and then you beg for mercy, but I don't give it," The stranger in the shadows said. The only thing you could see on him was a sick smirk.

As Videl was running the man threw something at her foot causing her to trip. She was now extremely scared. The man loomed over her. She saw his blue eyes.

"The fearless Videl. Reduced to this. And here I thought you were raised better" The man said as he raised a gun right to Videls forehead.

Videls eyes widened in fear.

"Good Bye!" The man said then pulled the trigger.

Now normally in Videl's dream this is where she'd wake up screaming with a cold sweat on her brow, but this dream was different.

Just as the bullet was supposed to strike her, a warm and bright light engulfed Videl. So bright she couldn't open her eyes to see where or whom it was coming from. When Videl could finally open her eyes, she was inside a house.

'Where the heck am I?' she asked as she looked around the room.

The house felt warm and comfy, and so familiar but different all at once.

She was slightly startled when she heard clicking of keys followed by a surprised 'hey' and the giggle of a baby.

She quietly crept over careful to make sure no one saw her. She stood for a minute to examine the house. She was in the living room. It was big. Not too big like at her old house, but it was larger than in Gohans house. It had a cozy air to it. A few love seats, a wooden rocking chair, a big plush couch with a big screen TV, and a fireplace. All around a nice looking living room.

It wasn't hard to tell that who ever had lived here had just recently had a baby, a playpen was near the corner of the room and an assortment of baby toys littered the floor. In the middle of the floor was a man with a laptop in front of him. But he didn't look like he was getting, much work done.

In his lap was what Videl assumed to be his daughter. She crept closer so she stood almost 3 feet in front of him and she cleared her throat. When he didn't look up she assumed he couldn't see her and it was a dream of some sort.

Videl had to admit the man was quite attractive. He had black spiky hair, his glasses were a little dorky, but the rest of his looks made it look adorable.

'He looks like someone I know! I can't figure who it is though!' Videl though a little annoyed as she studied the mans features.

He was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt and a pair of beat up blue jeans. Even though these clothes were semi lose, you could tell he had an excellent body underneath.

The little girl who was perched in her fathers lap reached up and grabbed her father's glasses.

The man gave a laugh

"Pan I need those back sweetie" the man said as the little girl put them on her eyes and blinked up at her father earning another laugh.

"Panny I really need my glasses back!" the man said with a big grin, His daughter in return stuck her tongue out.

"Ok if that's how you wanna play…" The man trailed off as he laid down the little girl and pulled her shirt up to show her belly and started to blow raspberries. (For any of you who don't know what a raspberry is its when you put your mouth on skin and blow making like a farting sound) The little girl let out a shrill of giggles as her father did this a few more times.

The man picked the girl up and propped her on his hip.

"Panny may I please have my glasses back?" he asked earning a pout from the daughter as the man gently took his glasses out of the small hands.

She gave a small glare at the man as the glasses left her hands.

The man gave a small sigh "You're definitely your mothers child" the man said as he shook his head.

Just as he said that the door opened.

The little girl gave a surprised look to the man as he smiled at her "Mommy's home!" he said as the little girl started to smile.

The man walked to the kitchen where the woman had gone. Videl followed him.

'That scene was so cute… I wish my dad was like that to me.' She thought with a pang of jealousy.

"Sweetie!" the woman said as she smiled and took the baby girl from the mans arms and hugged her gently.

"Thanks Gohan, I know you had to work but its a lot easier shopping when Pans not there. You know how sayians are with food," she said with a smiled as she leaned up and kissed him.

'THAT'S Gohan? Figures he manages to stay that good looking later on in life.' Videl thought as she watched the couple kiss.

"Lucky bitch" she mumbled as she gave the woman a once over.

She had to admit the woman was good looking. Long silky black hair bulled into a high ponytail, skin of ivory, shimmering blue eyes, and an amazing body to boot. For a woman who had recently had a baby… she looked damn good.

'Figures Gohan gets a hottie like her' she thought as her mood changed to crestfallen.

Gohan smiled.

"No problem V, I love being with Panny. It's so hard to believe that she was still in you 5 months ago. It seems like only yesterday you were pregnant He said as he kissed his daughters forehead.

'Not only does this bitch steal MY boyfriend, but MY nick name too!' she thought angrily as she glared at the woman nicknamed V.

"I remember when I was pregnant you were all worried about me, and at night you'd always rub my stomach and kiss it good night. You're such a dork sometimes Gohan… But I love you for it." She said as Gohan flashed his goofy smile.

All of a sudden another bright light flashed and Videl was in a white oblivion.

"Jeez… A person could go crazy in a place like this." She thought as she looked around. She stiffened as a figure started to approach. The woman turned out to be Gohans wife.

"I wanted to tell you that everything's going to be ok." The woman said earning a glare from Videl.

"Excuse me?" she said in an icy tone.

"I said everything's going to be alright. I know your problems with your dad, I'm just here to say you'll make it through fine" The woman said smiling at the teen.

"And How exactly do you know this?" she said confused, how did this woman know of her problems?

The woman gave another smile.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" The woman said earning a raised eyebrow from Videl.

"I'm you! Videl. Only I'm Videl Son, not Satan."

Videls eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" she said, completely shocked.

"Yep. Now, everything will be ok, trust me Gohan will make things better. With your home problem and your confidence problem." She said as Videls eyes widened as she cast her eyes down.

All of a sudden Videl fell over as her eyes bugged out.

"Me…And Gohan…. Pan?" She stuttered out as realization dawned on her. She and Gohan had a kid!

The older Videl smirked.

"Oh yeah. And F.Y.I…" She smirked even wider "You're gonna have a hell of a good time with her creation" she said, as Videl blushed deep red.

"Now go, Gohan needs a good talking to" As she said that Videl felt herself give a jolt and she was awake in her bed, well the bed she was sleeping in.

"What the hell was that all about? And when did I ever work up the nerve to speak like that?" She questioned as she looked at the time and saw it was 3:45am.

Videl felt her headache staring to come on full force again. She decided to go and get another Sayian Tylenol from downstairs.

She padded into the kitchen and filed a cup up with water and took a purple pill and starting walking back but was startled as she noticed a figure sitting on the couch.

She walked over to it slowly and saw it was just Gohan so she relaxed a little.

He was half laying on the couch half sitting up. But it didn't matter Videl thought he looked adorable when he slept.

Videl sat down beside him and decided to wake him up and see why he was sleeping downstairs instead of in his room.

"Gohan" she whispered as she nudged him in the arm gently.

Gohan didn't respond.

"Gohan wake up" she said a little louder and nudged a little more forcefully.

All Gohan did was grunt and turn in the opposite direction.

Videl getting a little annoyed then said "Gohan wake up!" loudly but not too loudly to wake any additional people up and smacked him up side the head.

"Tuesday…. is applesauce day…" he mumbled out as he opened his eyes and turned and saw Videl in front of him with her eyebrow raised.

"Applesauce day?" she asked as he gave a perplexed look.

"Huh?" was all he said and she just shook her head.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Oh… I just had a weird dream that's all" he said as he looked up at her.

"You and me both!" she said as she blushed a little.

"Oh yeah? Will you tell me about it?" he asked making conversation.

"Only if you tell me" Videl said a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"Of course! … You first" he said as Videl rolled his eyes at him.

"Fine" she said as another blush crept up on her cheek.

"Well first it started out as a nightmare, being chased by that man who was trying to kill me, remember me telling you? Anyways, he had thrown something at my foot and made me trip then he held the gun barrel to my forehead and just, as the bullet should have hit me, a bright light flashed and I was inside this house. It had such a cozy feel to it. Anyways, when I walked inside I saw a man and he was playing with his baby daughter" she said as her blush started to get darker.

"They played for a few minutes, he was supposed to be working, and then the mother came home. And she said, "Thanks Gohan, I know you had to work but its a lot easier shopping when Pans not there. You know how sayians are with food" and then she kissed you," she said as Gohan took on a shocked look.

"You had a dream I had a kid?" he asked in a perplexed tone.

"Yeah" she mumbled out.

Gohans cheeks turned pink "Who was the mother?" he asked quietly.

"Well, she was short, she had blue eyes, pale skin, long black hair-" she was caught off by Gohan.

"What was her name?" he asked quickly.

"Um… you called her V," she mumbled as she blushed.

"V? But I only ever call…. You…. You and I had a kid together?" he said a little loudly, and then quickly covered his mouth hoping no one was woken up.

Videl leaned back on the couch and rolled her eyes " Gee… don't sound too thrilled to have a kid with me" she said in a cynical tone.

"No no! I didn't mean it like that! Honestly! It just caught me off guard….you and I had a kid…wow… What did she look like?" Gohan asked getting used to the idea.

"She was adorable! And I thought that before I knew it was our child, she had short black hair, she had your hair, but I think she had my nose. Her name was Pan…she was so cute!" she said as she remembered the adorable future baby

Gohan just sat there smiling, imaging this small baby.

However he was jarred out of his stupor.

"So what about your dream?" Videl asked.

"Huh? Oh my dream…uhh…" he stuttered

"Oh come on I told you about mine! You promised!" she begged

"Fine. I dreamt it was the cell games again. I had just killed Cell. Instead of everyone being happy everyone turned on me. They al were mad at me, everyone hated me. As years went on I was tormented by guilt and constant insults from my family and friends. Then I met you and everything was great. Dad came back from other world and everyone was happy again, however my dad was mad at me as well. Then they told you what happened and you said how you hated me and couldn't believe how I took such a great man away from the earth. There that was my dream," he said quickly.

They both sat there for a minute of silence then Videl sat up and sat on Gohan and grabbed his face.

"Don't you every say that. No one blamed you for what your father choose to do. I would never hate you, even if it was intention, there too much about you I like to focus on one small detail. Gohan it's not your fault. Get over it. We don't hate you." She said while holding his face.

"But-"

"NO buts, now say 'ok Videl you're right'," She said with a stern look on her face.

Gohan let out a small smile " OK, Videl you're right" he said with a smile as she smiled.

"Yeah I know I'm right" she said as she kissed his cheek.

"Hey why don't we head to bed now, I'm getting tired from the medicine." She said as she stood up and grabbed his hand.

"Wait before we go…" he gently pulled her back onto the couch.

"What is it?" she asked with a puzzled look.

"Why do you think your ugly?" he blurted out catching her off guard.

"Gohan, we already talked about this."

"Please, just answer" was all he said.

"I was raised to believe it, and it just kinda stuck besides, I think I could stand to lose a few pounds. I mean I hate my lower body, and don't even get me started on my abs-" Gohan silenced her with a kiss.

"Videl quite being so stupid. Now I want you to say Ok, Gohan you're right" he said with a small smirk.

Videl was quiet for a moment "Ok Gohan, you're right," she said

Gohan studied her features and could tell she was lying. But he'd work on that later.

Gohan lifted her up bridal style and started walking upstairs.

"You know I'm perfectly capable of walking by my self," she said as she crossed her arms.

"I know" was all he said as he open her door and laid her down.

"Good night." He said as he kissed her forehead.

"Good night" she said as he walked out of the room.

'I'm so lucky to have him…. Maybe just a few more pounds…' she thought as she drifted back into a peaceful oblivion.

Gohan lied down in his comfy bed. ' Videl I will get you to believe me no matter what' was all he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

Morning

Videl woke up after a peaceful sleep.

She sat up in her bed and stretched as she covered her yawn.

She stood up and trudged downstairs.

When she walked down stairs a happy Goku and Chi Chi greeted her.

"Good morning Videl" a happy Goku said from the couch.

"Morning Goku" she said as she gave a tired smile.

"How was your sleep? He asked as he looked back at forth from the kitchen to Videl.

"Well it started out a little rough, but then I was fine," she said as she rubbed the last bit of sleep out of her eye.

"That's good… Chi! I'm starving!" Goku wined as said woman exited the kitchen.

"Goku quit your whining, they'll be here in 30 minutes. Oh Videl, good morning, would you mind waking Gohan up? He's still asleep," Chi Chi said as she kept a watchful eye on her husband.

"Sure no problem" with that Videl walked right back upstairs.

Videl knocked on Gohan's door quietly and waited for a minute. After receiving no answer she slowly opened the door and saw Gohan lying on his side fast asleep facing her.

She smiled at how adorable he looked and slowly walked over and sat in front of him.

He traced her finger gingerly along his jaw line, marveling at the beauty of him.

She gently pushed him

"Gohan wake up…" she said as he started to stir

Gohan slowly opened one dark eye and saw Videl looking at him, an adorable look plastered on her face.

Gohan smiled and just starred at her for a minute.

"What?" she asked, her confusion rising.

"You" was all he said

Videl rolled her eyes " Yeah, yeah, I know morning breathe stinks, but I wanted to eat first!" she said trying to defend herself.

Gohan gave a small laugh,

"I could get used to waking up like this" Gohan said as he propped himself up on one arm.

"To morning breath?" she asked looking confused and disgusted.

"No, to you. My day seems better all ready just by seeing your face" he said as he stroked her cheek gingerly

Videl blushed heavily

"Has anyone ever told you, how beautiful you are?" he said as he leaned in to kiss her

"No" she whispered as he gave her a small kiss.

"Hey Gohan hurry up everyone's here and Ah!" Goku said as he walked in on the couple kissing.

Videl was about to pull apart when Gohan slowly did, a broad smile on his face.

"Am I interrupting something?" Goku asked as Videl blushed and Gohan grinned.

"Nope were done" Gohan said as he looked up at his dad.

"OK, well Gohan hurry up I'm starving!" Goku said as he went back downstairs.

Gohan stood up, still smiling.

"Come on, I'm hungry too" he said as he grabbed her hand and lead her down stairs.

"Morning everyone!" he said happily as he pulled out Videl's chair, then pushed her in and took a seat of his own.

"Morning Gohan" Chi Chi as she studied Gohans grinning face.

"Did you have a good sleep Gohan? You seem happier then usual in the mornings" Chi Chi asked as she sat down.

"My sleep was ok, but I woke up to perfection" Gohan grinned broadly as Videl blushed heavily.

Chi Chi raised an eyebrow "You woke up to perfection?"

Gohan glanced at Videl

"Yep, I woke up to an amazing beauty, something the gods would be jealous of" all Videl did was go darker.

Goku watched and knew exactly what Gohan was talking about, and what he was trying to do. Deciding to give Videl a break he spoke up.

"Chi can we eat yet! I'm so hungry!"

Chi Chi rolled her eyes "yes we can all eat now"

Breakfast went off without a hitch. Everyone made small talk about anything. Aaliyah was still in awe at the sayians eating habits.

Everyone had finished eating and headed to the family room.

"So when does everyone go to Bulma's?" Aaliyah asked, striking up a conversation.

"We'll leave in about an hour, then we'll eat lunch at my place" Bulma answered as she leaned her head on Vegeta who surprisingly did nothing.

"Alright" Videl said as she stood up, " I'm gonna go get ready to leave" Videl said as she stood up and started walking up stairs.

Goku looked at Gohan and saw the worry in his eyes.

Gohan slowly got up and followed her up stairs.

Gohan gently knocked on the door earning a 'come in'

He slowly walked in and saw Videl getting a few things together.

"Your sure you wanna do this?" He asked as she sat on the bed.

"No… but I feel bad. I mean he did help to give me life," she said ' but he has threatened to take it away' she thought morbidly.

"Promise me something though ok?" Gohan asked sitting beside her, her small hands in his large ones.

Videl gave a half smile

"Anything"

"Promise me you'll be ok. And if you get into trouble, or your dad lays a finger on you spike your energy or call me or something, I'll come to you in less then 3 seconds" Gohan said as he squeezed her hands.

Videl's heart melted at her boyfriend.

"I promise. And I promise I'll be safe, now do you want to fly me over or am I going by myself?" She asked with a playful smile but Gohans worried look didn't leave his face.

She saw his face and sighed "Gohan, I know how uncomfortable this is making you, but please, don't get so strung out. It's only for one night, no more. If I feel as though I'm in any danger I won't give a second thought to calling you. Now… will you escort me to my old house?" she asked with a small smile, trying to ease his fears.

All Gohan did was sigh and nod.

He picked up Videl's bags and walked downstairs with them.

Gohan walked to the front hallway and grabbed Videl's coat and brought it to her when she walked downstairs.

"Alright guys I'm going to take Videl home," Gohan said in a less then impressed tone.

Chi Chi's face took on a worried looks.

Videl smiled and walked up to Chi Chi.

"Chi Chi thank you so much for letting me stay here, you have no idea how much it means to me. I haven't had a Christmas this happy in ages." She said as she hugged Chi Chi

"Why are you leaving? You can't go back there!" She said in a worried tone

"I'm just going for the night, I've promised Gohan if I need anything I will call him." She said as she pulled away and walked over to Goku.

"Thank you Goku for letting me stay" she said as she gave him a hug.

"You're welcome anytime you want Videl, you know that." He said as he reciprocated the hug.

She nodded her head then walked over to her mom.

"Mom, I'm going to go home for tonight, I'll se you at Bulma's tomorrow alright?" She asked as she hugged her mom.

Aaliyah embraced her daughter and whispered "If you're dad gets rough at any moment I want you to come back to these people" she said just as she let go.

Videl looked startled for a moment and slowly nodded.

"Well everyone I should be going, the sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back, if its no trouble of course." She said as she put her hiking bots on.

"Videl, be quiet, we love having you here. You keep Gohan and Goten busy, hell you even keep Goku busy!" Chi Chi said as Videl thanked her.

"Good bye everyone!" Videl said as she waved and walked out followed by Gohan after receiving a simultaneous 'good bye' and a grunt from Vegeta.

Gohan was a few feet in the air as she jumped up and joined him.

They flew in silence.

Videl know this was eating Gohan up inside.

When they arrived at Videl's house they floated there for a minute.

Gohan embraced Videl, catching her off guard.

"Please stay safe," he said as he held her tight

Videl just hugged him back then kissed him.

Videl slowly pulled apart and gave a small smile.

"I'll be there early tomorrow morning I promise," She said as he kissed her one more time.

"Bye" she whispered as he gave a small wave.

She slowly crept through the front doors and closed them, leaving Gohan outside.

Gohan once again sighed and made his way to Bulma's.

Videl crept to the front of her house. She made her way up stairs doing her best to be quiet as she made her way up to her room.

She walked into her room; it was just as she left it.

Figured her dad wouldn't care to figure out where she was.

She put her bag down and lay on her bed for a minute.

Deciding she was hungry she decided to get and get something to eat so she made her way down to the kitchen to fix her up something. (The staff is on vacation)

She opened a cupboard and a few pots and pans fell out.

Videl cringed knowing that would catch his attention.

Just as sure as the sky is blue, Hercule came storming through the hall.

"Who are you and what the…. Oh its you. I thought it was someone important." He said in an icy tone.

"You shouldn't do that," he said as Videl lifted her eyes slightly.

"Do what?" she asked.

"You shouldn't be eating, you're already huge, all you're gonna do is get bigger and bigger and end up an even bigger loser with no love selling her self for sex." He said with a smirk on his face.

Videl lowered her eyes and started putting the pots away.

Hercule walked up behind Videl and smacked her outside the head, causing Videl to let out a yelp in pain.

"Now as punishment for you leaving the house earlier, I'm gonna help you out. I don't want you here that long so I'm going to help you lose weight. Now get your fugly fat ass up stairs and into a bathing suit, you're going to swim for 5 hours." He said as he pulled her up by the collar of her shirt and roughly pushed her towards the stairs.

"You know you're a lot like your mother, really…unfortunate. She was ugly and fat to. If it weren't for me, she never would have found love. Oh well, she's eight feet under now and right where she belongs." He said as he looked at his fingers.

Videl was grinding her teeth when she yelled "Shut up!" She said knowing full and well she was gonna get it for that.

Hercule walked up to her and loomed over her.

He clamped his hand over her mouth cutting off the air from her nose and mouth "Shut your mouth" he said in an icy tone as he shoved her against a wall, hard.

"Now get your fat ass up stairs and get changed, you need to drop some weight," he said as he released her as she fell to the ground to quickly get ready.

'Gohan why did I ever leave your safety?' she thought to her self as she made her way to find a bathing suit.

Gohan was getting this nervous feeling in his stomach.

Gohan was in the living room with Goku.

Goku watched as his son paced back and forth in the large furnished room.

"Gohan, you've been pacing for over twenty minute, your giving me a headache please sit down." Goku asked as he held his head.

"I can't sit down! I know something bad is happening to Videl. I just know it! Hercule's doing something to hurt her I know it!" He said as he stopped for a minute.

"And tell me what pacing is gonna do to fix it?" Goku asked as Gohan let out an exasperated sigh.

He sat down beside his dad.

"Sorry" he said in a quiet voice.

Goku gave a small smile at his son.

"Gohan I know you're worried about her, I am to. But she's a big girl and we have to respect her choices. You may not like it, but you can't stop her." He said as he pat his son's back.

"I know that! I would never disrespect anything she did I'm just worried." Gohan said with his head in his hands.

Both men sat there for a minute then Gohan stood up. I'm going to go work out, call me when its supper" was all he said as he walked off.

Goku gave a small smile at his son, and then walked off to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Videl, feeling a little self conscious about being in a bathing suit, wore a large shirt over top and fiddle with them hem as she walked into the pool room. Her father was already there glaring at her.

Videl's head was still sore from being smacked against the wall but she still slowly walked into the poolroom.

"Alright fat ass, you have 5 hours to swim, then I will punish you for leaving during a pervious punishment. And remember I have cameras in here so you stop you're in more trouble" he said as he slammed the door shut.

Videl sighed and dove in to start her workout.

Author: Ok I'm gonna skip ahead the hours because I'm not sure what to write.

Videl, exhausted crept out of the pool. She had gone swimming for long periods of time before but the was nuts!

She took a minute to catch her breath a bit then looked around to not see a towel insight.

She walked out of the room to see her dad standing there.

"Alright fugly, now as punishment you're not to leave your room" he said as he gave her that said 'do it now' and she obliged by going to her room.

She walked into her room and was startled to see almost nothing.

She had no covers on her bed; her windows were all open, only screens were there. She walked over to her closet for a change of clothes but it was locked!

So She was left in a freezing room, no covers, no warm dry clothes or towels or anything!

She was about to turn to open the door and grab something when she heard it click from outside.

"Good night" she heard her father say after the locking click and then she heard him walking down the hall way laughing.

Videl lay down on her bed, freezing her butt off.

"May as well try and get some sleep," she muttered as she cured up in a ball in an attempt to get some warmth, as she closed her cold eyes and drifted off into in frozen slumber.

Gohan lay in his bed, drifting in and out of sleep.

It was now about 2:30 am and Gohan still had that nagging feeling.

Gohan closed his eyes, finally feeling as though sleep would over take him when he heard a small knocking.

He sighed and managed to drag him self out of bed.

He walked over to the bedroom door, but no one was there, it was completely empty.

'I must be hearing things' he though as he drowsily made his was over to the bed again only to hear the noise again.

'Is that coming from the window?" he though as he opened the blinds to see a pale Videl there.

Startled he gasped and fell on the ground. He quickly recovered and opened the window.

"Videl? What are you doing out here at this time?" he asked as he studied her features.

"C-can I c-c-come I-in?" she stuttered as she shivered.

Gohan quickly ushered her in and turned on a light.

Gohan looked at her now more clearly, she looked really pale, her lips almost looked blue and was she wearing… a wet t-shirt? He though as he looked at her.

"Are you ok? He asked her quickly as he hugged her.

She felt like ice! Gohan now getting worried quickly let go of her and ran to his closet and pulled out a pair old pants and an oversized sweatshirt.

"Change" was all he said as he left the room for a few minutes.

He walked in 5 minutes later to see her sitting on his bed still shivering, her wet clothes in a heap on the floor.

Gohan didn't even have to ask her knew Hercule had something to do with this so he put the clothes in the bathroom and made Videl lay in his bed under all the covers.

Videl shivered violently under the covers.

"Videl?" Gohan whispered, but all Videl did was stare blankly ahead and shiver as she attempted to get warm

Gohan lay down beside her and held her in a hug.

Videl turned around so she was facing him and looked up.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she put her head on his chest and continued her effort to warm up.

Gohan was more then confused by her statement, but decided to question it later; her well being was the most important thing at the moment.

Gohan held her tighter and rubbed her back util he was sure she fell asleep.

Gohans mind was still going wild trying to figure out why she apologized to him, but in the middle of his thoughts he didn't even realize he was drifting to sleep himself.

Gohan opened his heavy eyes and looked at the clock, it was 10:30 am.

'Man I don't usually sleep in that late' he thought as he looked at Videl.

She still looked pale but when he felt her face she felt pretty warm

He thought back to what her mother said and knew she'd only have a fever for a day or two.

In the middle of his thought she awoke and looked at him.

"Hi" she said quietly as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Hey… wanna go get something to eat?" Gohan asked as his stomach made its presence known.

Videl gave a small smile. Her mind raced with what her dad had said last night. All those names. Maybe she should listen to him.

"I don't want to eat, but you go ahead" She said as she sat up.

Gohan gave a nervous smile but stepped off the bed and held out his hand.

Videl took his hand and hopped off the bed and smiled at Gohan.

They walked hand and hand down into the kitchen where only a few people were.

Chi Chi, Goku, Bulma and Vegeta were the only ones in the kitchen at the moment.

"Good morning everyone" Gohan said as he walked in with Videl in tow.

"Oh good morning Go-" Chi Chi cut herself off as she saw Videl walk in

"Videl? What are you doing here?" Chi chi asked as everyone gave a confused look in her direction.

"If it'd be alright I'd really rather not answer that" Videl said quietly as Gohan pulled a chair out for her.

Videl sat down and Gohan sat down beside her.

"Mom is there anything to eat?" Gohan asked diverting the attention from Videl

"Yes, you're lucky I save you some or you wouldn't have gotten anything at all!" Chi Chi said as she started bringing the plates over.

"Videl what would you like to eat? I wasn't expecting you here this early so I didn't save you anything" Chi Chi said as she brought the last of the plates in.

"Oh I'm not hungry thanks, if I could have just a glass of water, that'd be great" Videl said looking down, knowing all eyes in the room were on her.

"Your girlfriend looks like shit" Vegeta commented out of nowhere.

Gohans eyes snapped up and glared and Vegeta as Bulma smacked him on the head.

"Vegeta! Why the hell would you say something like that!" She seethed as Videl lowered her head.

"Ow! Woman! I meant she looks sickly pale! Look for yourself." He stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Bulma raised an eyebrow and walked over to Videl. She placed her hand on her forehead to feel it.

"Videl you are a little warm. I think you have a small fever, nothing to worry about though, it'll probably be gone tomorrow." She said as she lowered her hand

Videl was quiet for a moment, and then she took a sip of her drink.

"I'm going to go have a shower, see you guys in a bit" she said as she stood up.

Videl walked out of the room but then walked back in a few moments later.

"Uh.. I don't mean to bother anyone but can someone tell me what bathroom I should be using?" She said sheepishly.

"Oh! I'll show you your room" Bulma said as she started to walk to the girl.

"I'll come to!" Chi Chi said as they linked arms with the young girl and walked off leaving Goku, Vegeta and Gohan in the kitchen.

"Gohan, when did she get here?" Goku asked once he was sure the women were out of earshot.

Gohan was finishing off his last plate of food. He swallowed then answered.

"She was at my window at about 2:30 this morning." He said as he took a quick drink.

Vegeta pulled up a chair to hear the full story.

"What do you mean" Goku asked a little confused.

"Ok, at about 2:30 I heard this quiet knocking I opened the door to see what it was but no one was there, I had assumed I had imagined at but I heard it again. I was positive it came from the window so I went over to check and Videl was foating outside my window. I opened it up and let her in and gave her a hug because she as shivering so much."

"Why was she shivering?" Goku asked

"I'm getting to that. Anyways I hugged her and she was freezing. Then I got a good look at her. She was in a soaked t-shirt and a bathing suit! So I grabbed some of my clothes then had her change. I made her lay on my bed under all the covers and just before she fell asleep she whispered I'm sorry, then she was out" Gohan said as he stretched backwards.

"Do you know why she was wet?" Goku asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No I haven't asked her yet. I know it had something to do with Hercule though." Gohan said as he lowered his eyes to the table.

"She looks brittle" Vegeta said

"What?" Gohan and Goku said at the same time.

"I mean she looks too thin. Even with your oversized clothes on she looks too small." He stated in a clam cool voice.

"Now that you mention it, when I saw her legs, they looked scrawny…" he trailed off in thought.

"If you ask me, I think her fathers been feeding her lies and she's believing them and digging herself into a rut" Vegeta stated.

"How'd you know that?" Gohan asked a little disbelieving.

"I'm smart" was all he said

With The Women

"Alright Videl this is your room. It's right beside Gohans and Chi's. So if you need anything you can ask either of them." Bulma said as she opened to door to the large room.

Videl was surprised at its size. It was a little larger then hers. A king size bed was in the middle of the room with white blankets covering it. There was a computer, TV set, movie, DVD players and many other things like that.

"Here's your bathroom" Bulma said as she opened the door revealing a large bathroom with separate tub and shower.

"I'm sure you know how to work the tub's jets so if you need anything give me a call," Bulma said with a smile.

"Oh! Videl, Gohan brought clothes for you. He asked me to pack them, so I've put them in the closet and drawers ok?" Chi Chi said finally speaking.

"Alright Thanks guys," Videl said as she closed the door.

Once Videl was in the bathroom the older women exited the room.

"Chi! I just got a great idea!" Bulma exclaimed after the bedroom door was closed.

"You want grandkids right?" she asked.

Chi Chi gave her a stupid look.

"Well why don't we make Videl a dress that will knock Gohans socks off for Videl?" She said as she jumped a little.

"That's a great idea!" I have the perfect dress in mind! Once Videl comes out we'll get her measurements and get to work. We only have a few days till new years." Chi Chi said.

Videl sat in the hot bathtub, with the jets, un-knotting her back.

She lifted her hand and felt the back of her head and winced. She had a bump forming from where she had smacked her head last night.

She shivered a little as her fever perked up, but she also shivered because of last night.

Flash Back

Videl was curled up in a ball doing her best to have a good night sleep in the freezing weather.

She woke up with a jolt as cold water was splashed on her.

She sat up and saw Hercule standing over her with a large bowl raised, its contents was the cold water that now covered Videl.

"Don't worry fat ass I was just making sure you were in here!" he said with a laugh then walked out of the room, and locked her in.

'That's it!' she thought as she opened her window and flew out towards capsule corp.

'Maybe he's right… I should work out a little more. I mean what bad could come out of me losing a few pounds. Once I get out I'll go work out for a few hours.' She thought as she sat back and relaxed.

Videl finished her bath a half an hour later and changed into a pair of sweatpants and stuck Gohan's sweatshirt back on because she was a little cold from the fever.

She silently crept out of her room and started wandering the many hallways.

After searching for 20 minutes she found a room with some exercise equipment and decided to run on the treadmill.

"Hey mom, have you seen Videl? It's been almost 2 hours since I last saw her" Gohan asked as he walked into the kitchen seeing his mother and Bulma get dinner going.

"No sweetie I haven't seen her. But could you go look for her I think were almost done lunch" Chi Chi said as she pulled something out of the over.

"No prob mom" Gohan said as he walked out in search of Videl.

Gohan wandered around aimlessly opening and closing doors looks for Videl.

He stopped then smacked himself in the head 'Why don't I just sense her energy?' he thought to him self. After getting a lock on her he walked up to the room and opened the door.

There he heard music playing in the background, a sweaty Videl in the middle running on a treadmill.

He walked over, assuming Videl hadn't taken notice to him.

"Videl?" he asked startling her and causing her to scream.

She jumped off the machine panting, partly from being scared, mostly from the running.

"Gohan…. You…. scared the…. crap out of me!" she said with pants in-between.

"Videl what are you doing? You should be resting, especially with a fever," Gohan asked as she walked over and took a long drink of water.

"I was just getting a little exercise nothing wrong with that" she said as she threw away her cup.

"Then why wouldn't you do it in clothes that aren't so baggy and hot. And yes it is bad for you to exercise when you have a fever" Gohan asked as she sat down.

"I just…didn't want to wear tight clothes. And I didn't exercise to much, I just ran for a little while" she said as he sat beside her.

"Little while?" he questioned.

"2 hours isn't that long," she said as he gave her a funny look.

"Anyways… I'm not completely sure how to get back to my room, think you could show me the way so I can get into some clean clothes." She asked as she stood up and pulled him up with her.

"All right but make it a quick shower, lunch is going to be finished soon," Gohan, said as he led her out of the room.

They walked for a few minutes in silence then Gohan spoke up.

"Hey V, what are you going to wear for the New Years Eve bash? It's kinda formal attire. Do you have any fancy type clothes or anything?" He asked.

"Off hand I can't think of anything. But I'm sure I'll find something" When she answered they were at her room.

"You wanna like sit in here for a few minute I won't be long," she said as she grabbed a pair of lose pants and a sweatshirt.

Five minutes later she stepped out fully clothed and her hair dried.

"Alright, lets go!" she said as they walked down to the dinning room.

While they were walking Gohan once again spoke up.

"Hey Videl, how come you don't wear anything tight?" he asked. He could tell by the look she made he had touched a sore spot.

"I just want to fix a few things up first" was all she got out as Gohan came to an abrupt stop.

"Videl, why'd you come here early?" He asked

"Gohan…" she trailed off

"Videl, I've been very patient please answer, I want to help you." He said as he gave her a small hug.

"I got home and dad heard me when I knocked a few pans down. I was getting something to eat and he told me I shouldn't do that. Then he came up and smacked me in the back of the head and said he was going to help me"

"Why shouldn't you eat?" he asked perplexed

"I'll answer that later. Anyways, he started insulting my mom and I told him to shut up and he grabbed me and pushed me against a wall… If you feel my head you can feel where I hit…" She said as Gohan started to gingerly rub her head.

"Then he told me to get a bathing suit on so I did and I wore a shirt over top. He made me swim for 5 hours, and then said my punishment for leaving was to stay in my room. So I get to my room and all the covers were gone I couldn't get any dry clothes and all my windows were open. So I somehow slept for a few hours then I felt cold water being poured on me and he's like 'just making sure you alive' then he left laughing. Then I thought enough was enough and I came back here." She said as Gohan embraced her.

"I'm sorry Videl" Gohan said as he kissed her head as she returned the hug.

"Videl…. Did you dad insult your… Looks or anything?" Gohan asked a little uneasily, he felt her tense up and knew her dad had told her some lie about her looks.

"I'd really rather not talk about it now" she said as she gave him a quick kiss then they started back to the dinning room.

They entered the dinning room to see everyone sitting down waiting (in) patiently for them.

"Bout damn time!" Vegeta said as both of them sat down.

After that everyone started getting food on his or her plates.

Videl looked down at the food, temptation fighting to take over. To satisfy her self she grabbed a piece of bread and ate it slowly.

"Sweetie is that all you're going to have to eat?" Aaliyah asked as she watched her daughter pick at the bread.

"I'm not that hungry" was all she said as she drank her water.

"Videl! Bulma, 18, Aaliyah and I have been talking and we want to make you a dress for the New Years Eve bash! We just need you to come with us tonight to we can take your measurements. Is that alright?" Chi Chi said excitement clearly evident in her voice.

"Uh... You don't have to do that." Videl answered

"Nonsense, we want to" Bulma answered.

"What are you going to make it look like?" Gohan asked curious.

"Were not going to tell you, but I can assure you you'll want to jump Videl's bones after you see it!" Bulma answered with a snicker at the red teens faces.

After that lunch was pretty uneventful.

Aaliyah, 18, Bulma and Chi Chi ushered Videl up into a sewing room.

"All right Videl, we need you to wear this so we can get your measurement" Bulma said as she handed a bikini to Videl.

"Do I have to?" she asked a little nervously

"Don't worry sweetie it's just us here," Aaliyah answered as she pushed Videl into a changing room.

A minute later they heard Videl sigh.

"Promise not to make fun of me?" she asked meekly.

"Why would we…" 18 trailed off as Videl stepped out.

"Videl! Why don't you show this off more often?" Chi Chi asked in awe at the beautiful girl in front of her.

"Can we please get this done with?" she said as she stepped onto the platform.

They started measuring Videl around the waist and other places and writing them down.

Once they were done Videl quickly went back and changed into her baggy clothes then left the room.

The 4 women were silent for a minute.

"Did anyone else think she was…. sickly skinny?" 18 asked, trying to soften it for the girls' mother.

Aaliyah quickly exited the room.

"Wonder what that was all about?" Bulma questioned.

"I don't know but lets get to work on this dress!" Chi Chi said, excitement taking over again.

Aaliyah ran threw the hallways trying to find Gohan.

She said Goku and ran up to him.

She gave a small pant then taped him on the shoulder.

"Hi Aaliyah! How are things going for you?" Goku asked in a cheery tone.

"I'm fine Goku, thank. But I need to find Gohan, its urgent!" she said in a rush.

"Is everything alright?" Goku asked a little worried.

"For now yes and no" she said.

Goku took on a look of concentration

"I've got a lock on him, grab onto my arm and we'll be there in a minute" He said as Aaliyah grabbed his arm.

Aaliyah blinked then heard a surprised scream.

"Dad, what the heck are you doing here!" Gohan said from his spot on the ground after falling from the chair at the computer desk.

"Gohan! You NEED to help Videl! I saw her in a bikini!" Aaliyah said pausing to catch her breath.

Both Goku and Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with that?" Gohan asked.

"No, no, nothings wrong with that she looked great. But she looked too skinny!" She said

"What?" He kind of surprised.

"I mean she's getting to the point where she's too small! Hercule said something I know it. That's why she isn't eating! I'm worried she's going to develop some kind of eating disorder!" Aaliyah said as she grabbed onto him.

Gohan's face took on a serious look

"Aaliyah I promise you, I wont let that happen" Gohan said, a look of determination on his face.

There was a moment of silence.

"… What are you going to do Gohan?" Goku asked breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure, but I'm gonna do something" he said with a look of determination as he walked out of the room.

A Few Hours Later

Videl sat in the living room watching TV when Gohan sat down beside her.

Videl looked over and saw him starring at her.

She gave him a small smile

"Can I help you?" she asked with a playful smile.

Gohan returned the smile.

"Yes you can actually, go and get dressed, you and I are going out." He said never losing his smile.

Videl gave a confused smile.

"We are?" she asked

"Yep" was all he replied as he stood up.

"And where might we be going?" she asked again.

"It's a secret now get up and get ready," Gohan said as he offered her his hand.

Gohan walk off after helping her up.

"O…k… That was weird," she said out loud as she walked off to get ready.

About a half an hour later Videl saw Gohan putting his coat on.

He looked up and smiled at her

"You ready?" he asked his smile never changing.

"Yeah just let me put my coat on"

Once Videl had her coat on they both stepped outside.

Gohan leapt in the air surprising Videl

"Are you coming or what?" he called down.

"Coming!" She said as he jumped off and followed him to the unknown destination.

"So where are we going exactly?" Videl questioned trying to get some information

Gohan smiled again

"It's a surprise" as he said that he grabbed Videl and pulled her close so he could speed off.

A minute later they landed.

"You know if you wanted to speed up you just could have said something" Videl said as Gohan gently put her down.

"Well in the case, we both won," he said still smiling.

Videl took a look around and saw they were at the lake they skated on, on Christmas.

"Gohan what are we doing?" she asked confused.

Gohan pulled out a capsule and pressed it making a stereo appear.

He pushed play and just let the music come through.

He thought for a minute then smacked his head.

He clapped his hand twice and the whole area lit up with Christmas lights.

Videl gawked at its beauty. She couldn't believe how pretty it was. The ice glistened with all the colours of the lights and the snow illuminated with the same colours.

"Surprise" was all Gohan said as Videl gave him a big hug and kiss.

"Gohan its so pretty!" she said as she looked at the beauty before her.

"Hold on it gets better" Gohan said as he dug in his pockets and pulled out a capsule and threw it on the ice. A table popped out with 2 chairs and 2-lit candles on top.

He walked over and pulled the chair out and motioned for Videl to sit down.

Videl nodded in thanks then sat down then Gohan sat down in front of her.

He pushed a button and instantly the air around them was warm.

Gohan pulled out another capsule and there was a ton of food littering the table.

"Lets eat!" He said as he poured Videl a glass of water and stuck some food on her plate.

Gohan put a piece of food on his fork and put it forward towards Videl.

"Try this, I made it my self! Chicken Parmesan! I had my mom help a little. But it's my first time!" He said with a goofy grin on his face.

Videl reluctantly opened her mouth.

Gohan put the fork in her mouth as she ate.

"Mmm… Its really good Gohan!" she said as she swallowed the good food down.

Gohan looked at her poke her food a little.

'Oh no you don't' Gohan thought.

"Videl you have to eat what's on your plate, or you'll hurt me feelings!" He said as he watched her make a worried face.

"But… I'm not that hungry" She said

Gohan looked at her with puppy dog eyes and she caved.

"Fine" she said as she slowly started eating the food.

Gohan smiled in triumph.

They ate in silence for a minute when Gohan had to ask the question that had been burning in his mind since Videl came to him in the morning.

"Videl?" he asked

"Hm?" she replied as she swallowed a piece of lettuce.

"What did your dad say to you?" he asked.

"What…what are you talking about" she asked in a worried tone.

"V, you told me your dad said you should eat. And now you barely eat anything. I just hoped you'd trust me enough to tell me," he said as he made a sad face, hoping it worked.

Videl sighed.

"I trust you Gohan…" she trailed off.

"So, what did he say?" he asked smoothly.

Videl gave a little gulp but decided he deserved to know.

She heaved a sigh then spoke again.

"After I made the sound he came down and he's like 'Who are you and what…' then he realized it was me so he says' I thought it was someone important'. So I just ignored him then started putting the pots away and he said I should do that and I asked what and he goes 'You shouldn't be eating, you're already huge, all you're gonna do is get bigger and bigger and end up an even bigger loser with no love selling herself for sex'"

Gohan looked stunned for a minute and didn't get the time to remark because Videl continued on.

"I just kinda ignored him and continued with putting the pots away, then he came up and smacked me upside the head and said 'Now as punishment for you leaving the house earlier, I'm going to help you out. I don't want you here that long so I'm going to help you lose weight. Now get your fugly fat ass up stairs and into a bathing suit you're going to swim for 5 hours' then he kinda pushed me towards the direction of the stairs. I didn't mind he saying that I mean, a few pound never hurt any one"

"So, anyways, I started walking up the starts and he started saying how I was a lot like my mother and it was unfortunate. He said she was fat and ugly as well and if it weren't for him she would have never found love. Then he said o well she's 8 feet under and she belongs there. I wanted to break down and beat him up but I knew it would just be me that got it so I told him to shut up"

"He told me to shut my mouth then he shoved me against the way and told me to 'get my fat ass upstairs' and 'get changed because I need to drop some weight. And that's basically it, he called me ugly or fat a few more times, I don't remember which one…but yeah…that's it" as she started to feel her eyes get a little wet.

Gohan was stunned. He couldn't imagine any father or parent saying that to their only child.

"V… You don't believe him do you?" he asked softly as he reached for her hand.

Videl bit her lip then let a few tears slid down as she slowly nodded her head yes.

Gohan quickly got up and crouched down in front of Videl.

"Don't. Don't even go there. You _know_ how beautiful you are." He said as she wiped a few tears away.

She shook her head as she desperately tried to stop the flowing tears "Maybe you need glasses."

He looked her straight in the eye. "Maybe YOU do. But you're not just beautiful because you're attractive -- which you ARE," he emphasized at her disbelieving look, "but because… because your eyes light up the whole room when you laugh. Because you never give up, even when it means putting yourself on the line. Because you care so completely about everyone else, making sure everyone else is happy." He kissed her softly. "Because you gave me the chance to be with you."

Videl looked away as he spoke, not fully believing him.

"Videl, I have never in my life thought there was a more attractive person then you. And your attitude worries me. You know what your mom came running to tell me today?"

Videl shook her head as she wiped her eyes.

"She came in, almost in tears because she said you looked so skinny. She said she was worried you were developing an eating disorder. I'm not the only one who thinks you look this good. And there are only two people who don't think this. You and your father" He said as he wiped a few of her tears away.

"Why would you believe him when he says that? You know it's not true." He said as he rubbed her cheek.

"Videl everyone is worried about you, even Vegeta said you looked brittle, and he an ass so him saying something like that, you know is serious. V, my family and friends care for you very much. And so do I. Please V, I'm begging you DON'T listen to your dad. Its all lies." He said as she looked away.

"If its so untrue" she said in a horse voice, "Then why is it said so often?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know why you dad says it. I think you are beautiful. Or pick any word you like; beautiful, hot, sexy, gorgeous, model material, pick anyone!" he said surprising himself as he didn't blush.

Videl gave him a small smile and hugged him lightly.

"No one's ever been this nice to me," she whispered as he hugged her tightly.

"V, I want you to repeat after me ok?" Videl gave him a funny look but slowly nodded.

"I, Videl" he said

"I Videl" she repeated

"Am unbelievably beautiful," he said as he looked at the face she made.

He hesitated for a moment then repeated.

"Am unbelievably pretty," she said quietly

Gohan smiled. "And I," he said once more

"And I," she repeated again.

Gohan let out a big grin.

"Drive Gohan wild" he said as Videl started to laugh a little.

Through her laugh she managed to get out what she was directed to repeat.

"Drive Gohan wild" she said between laughs.

"You know it!" he said with another smile.

"Now lets finish eating," he said as he once again sat down in front of Videl.

Back At Capsule Corp.

"Has anyone seen Gohan? It's been like almost 3 hours!" Chi Chi said as she walked into the living room to see the guys watching the Simpsons

"He went out with Videl" Goku responded barely taking his eyes off of the TV.

"Did he say when he'd be back?" he said around 9 maybe 10" he responded once again.

Chi Chi looked up at the clock at saw it was 9 o'clock now.

She walked out of the room to go and find Bulma.

She walked into a room with a desk I it and saw Bulma with her glasses on looking at drawing designs.

"Hey Bulma, what are you doing?" She asked as she walked over.

"Alright Chi, I think I've got the plans for Videl's dress. We're going combine everyone's idea. So our end result is this!" she said as she proudly showed Chi Chi the sketch.

"Wow…" was all Chi Chi said as she studied the dress.

"This is perfect! She's going to look so amazing at the New Year's Eve Party!" she said excitedly. (Ha, your not gonna know what the dress looks like yet!)

Back at Gohan and Videl.

Videl laughed as Gohan and her spun in a circle on the ice as they listened to the blaring music.

After they had eaten Gohan told her to put her skates on and they skated together.

Videl gave a small yawn as she and Gohan spilt apart on the ice.

Videl stopped as 'I want to break free' started playing. She watched as Gohan spun a few more times before falling on the ice.

She hadn't expected Gohan to fall at all so when he did she stood there for a minute and skated over to him quickly.

"Gohan are you ok?" she asked worriedly.

"I want to break free!" he started singing then laughed.

"I love this song!" he said with a laugh then sat up.

"Yeah I'm fine thanks!" he said his smile never leaving his face.

Gohan stared at Videl's eyes for a minute the looked down at his watch lazily.

"Oh crap!" he said as he jumped up, only to fall back down.

"What? What's the matter?" Videl asked.

Gohan gave a small laugh.

"I told my parents that we'd be home between 9 and 10, and its 10:30 now." He said as he slowly stood up.

"Have we really been gone that long?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Yeah" Gohan replied as he pushed the button for the stereo and started taking his skates off as Videl followed his lead.

Videl put her hiking boots back on as Gohan put the skates away.

He walked up to her.

"You ready?" he asked.

She nodded yes and he scooped her up in his arms and flew off.

"Gohan?" She said loud enough for him to hear.

"Yeah" he replied.

"Thanks" was all she said.

Gohan was pretty sure he knew what he was talking about so he just said a quick "You're welcome".

As they flew Videl started to feel a little drowsy. Eventually she fell asleep leaning on Gohan.

Gohan sped up as Capsule Corp. came into view then proceeded through the large front doors.

As he stopped moving Videl slowly opened her eyes.

"Are we back already?" she said drowsily.

"Yeah, I'm going to take you back to your room ok?" he asked quietly so he didn't disturb her.

Videl meekly nodded as he carried her to her room.

Gohan gently opened the large bedroom door and walked in.

He laid Videl on the bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead and then the lips.

"Good night V" He said as he slowly stood up.

"Night Gohan…. Thanks" she said as she smiled and waved to her.

Gohan quietly shut the door to Videls room and walked downstairs to the living room.

Gohan saw his dad in the living room and plopped down on the couch beside him.

"Hey Gohan, how'd it go" Goku asked as he flipped through channels.

Gohan sighed.

"I'm not sure… its kinda hard to tell whether she's believing me or not" he said as he rubbed his face.

"Why what happened?" Goku asked finally giving up on finding a good show at this time of night.

"She just told me how her dad last night, called her names like fat ass and fugly, and said it was a shame she looked like her mother, things like that. And she asked he that if there so untrue, why he said them so often." He said casting his eyes down wards.

"What'd you say to that?" Goku asked curiously.

"I couldn't answer it. I told her I didn't know why her dad would say things like that. But I told her how I thought she looked, and how a lot of people are worried about her, and how her mom said she looked sickly small. I got her to eat…I just hope it helped her enough." Gohan said as he covered a yawn.

Goku smiled at his son.

"You did good Gohan…you did good," he said as Gohan gave him a funny look

"I did good?" he asked.

"Geez…Gohan your grammar sucks maybe you should get some sleep." Goku said as he stood up and stretched

"But you just said-" Gohan was cut off by Goku

"Good night Gohan!" Goku said as he left the room

Gohan laughed at his dad then slowly made his way up to his bedroom.

Gohan reached his room and changed into a pair of pajama pants and a white muscle top, then climbed into the large bed and laid down right in the middle.

He put his hands behind his head and sighed.

'Videl, I really hope I helped you tonight. I'm really worried about you' Gohan though as he closed his heavy eyes, then fell into a peaceful slumber.

A small crying Videl went over to her dad.

She had been playing in the park when a little Sharpener told her she could play because she was an ugly girl. The small Videl had protested that she was pretty only to be ignored. Now seeking reassurance she went over to her father.

Videl wiped her wet eyes as she approached her dad who was sitting on the bench reading the latest news about him.

"Daddy?" she asked as she got her crying under control.

"Yes?" he asked gruffly.

"Am I pretty?" she asked as she played with a small piece of hair.

"No, Videl you aren't. But your mother believed that some day you might be" Hercule answered never taking his eyes off of the newspaper.

"Oh" The small Videl said quietly as she went to go and sit by her self by the tree.

Videl sat by the tree and cried quietly.

"Excuse me?" said a small voice.

The small Videl ignored it, as kept her head in her arms.

"Excuse me?" said the persistent little boy as he poked Videl gently in her arm.

"What do you want?" she said sadly.

"Why are you crying? Are you hurt" the boy asked curiously.

"No, my dad told me I wasn't pretty" she said as she wiped a few tears.

"Why would he say a mean thing like that?" asked the small boy.

Videl looked at the boy for a few seconds. She had never seen him before. He was small with black eyes, and jet-black hair, and he was really nice too!

"I don't know" little Videl said quietly.

"Well I think your pretty!" The little boy said as he blushed and he slowly leaned in and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

Videl's eyes spanned open as she sat up.

She lay back down and rubbed her face.

'I wish that kid was there when I was younger. Who would have thought one boy could make all the difference?' she though to her self.

'If I had met that boy when I was little, maybe I wouldn't be like this' she thought as she closed her eyes and sighed.

Videl sat there for a minute as realization dawned on her.

'The older version of me said Gohan could help me… maybe I had a dream and it was saying Gohan could make the difference…if I just listen…' she thought as she stared at the ceiling.

'Maybe I'm just reading into this too much…' she thought again, a battle waging in her mind.

'I'm going to try it' she said with a determined look 'I will not believe what my dad says' she thought confidently.

With a sense of renewed confidence she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Gohan was curled up on his side when he felt a finger poke his cheek.

He tried to ignore the poking but the persistent finger kept going.

Gohan slowly opened his heavy lashes to see Videl grinning wildly at him.

"…What?" he asked getting a little worried, he could remember the last time he had seen her like this.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully.

"Aren't you in a good mood this morning" Gohan commented as he sat up in his bed.

"Yes, yes I am in a good mood" she paused for a minute as she gave his a kiss on the lips, catching him by surprise.

Gohan sat there with a shocked look on his face.

"And it's all thanks to you!" She said as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

She started making her way towards the door then she turned around and threw him a grin.

"Breakfast is ready. And on the count of 3 I'm running to tell Goku he can have your share!" She said with another bright smile as she darted out of the room.

"Wow…she's so happy! Maybe I did help her after…. wait a minute she's giving my food up!" He though as he raced out of the room and chased her.

Gohan caught her just as she was about to run into the kitchen.

He ran up behind her and picked her up from behind causing her to squeal and laugh.

The squeal caught everyone at the table's eyes.

One thought was on their mind

'What got into Videl?'

"Good morning you 2" Chi Chi said as she brought in the last few plates.

"Good morning Chi Chi" Videl said with a grin as she took her seat.

"Well aren't you in a good mood this morning" Chi Chi said with a smile, it was nice to see Videl like this.

"I guess you could say I had a wake up call last night and I'm trying to amend my ways" she said with another smile as she gave Gohan a small wink.

"Well whatever it is, it's great to see you so happy" Chi Chi said as she sat down.

"Alright everyone eat!" Chi Chi said as everyone dug into the food.

Aaliyah sat beside 18, who were across Videl. Aaliyah had a giant smile on her face.

'Gohan you said you'd do it, and you did. I don't know what the hell you did, but I'm definitely glad you did it.' Aaliyah said as she smiled at the young couple.

Videl ate a small portion of food, but it was enough to fill her up.

Videl smiled to herself. 'This isn't as hard as I had expected… I guess it kinda does feel good to be this happy' she though as she picked up a piece of pancake and dipped it in syrup and stuck it in her mouth.

Meanwhile

"Where the hell is she!" Hercule seethed through clenched teeth.

Hercule was up in her room, looking for some kind of clue to give him a hint as to where Videl was.

He found an address book.

He looked through it.

"I knew that fat ass could have many friend. She's only got 4 names on here…. How the hell does she know Bulma Briefs?" He asked but dismissed it.

He picked up the phone and called Erasa.

"Hello?" a perky voice said on the other end of the phone.

Hercule cleared his throat.

"Uh yes, hi, is This Erasa?" Hercule asked politely.

"Yes, speaking" Erasa answered.

"Hi, Erasa, its Hercule, Videls father, I'm worried about her she left the house yesterday and hasn't come back. Is she at your place?" he asked playing the 'concerned' father act.

"No champ I'm sorry she's not here. She may be with Gohan; those two hang out a lot. Anyways I'm very sorry Mr. Satan but I need to go. Good luck finding her!" Erasa said.

"Thank you very much for you help, you have a good day now!" he said as he hung up the phone.

"So that bitch has found some guy to pay for her to sleep with eh?"

Hercule dialed the number to Gohan's house only to get the answering Machine.

"Hi, you've reached the house of Goku, Chi Chi, Gohan and Goten. I'm sorry that we're not here to answer you call right now, but for the next two weeks we'll be at Bulma's house. If it's an emergency please call Bulma's. Happy Holidays" Said a cheery Goku as the answering machine.

Hercule called the number that it said under Bulma's name.

Back at Capsule Corp.

Bulma was in her office finishing a few final details for Videl's outfit when the phone rang.

"Hello this is Bulma speaking" Bulma answered politely as she sketched down her ideas.

"Yes, hello Mrs. Briefs, I was wondering if Videl is there?" Hercule asked politely.

"Yes, may I ask who's calling?" Bulma asked not paying attention to the voice on the other end.

"Its Hercule, the worlds strongest man. Videl ran away from home and I'm worried about my baby…could I talk to her please?" Hercule asked.

Bulma's eyes snapped open as she dropped the phone.

'Shit!' she mentally cursed as she scrambled to pick up the phone.

"I'm sorry, she can't come to the phone right now, have a good day!" she said quickly and slammed the phone down.

"Crap" she said quietly as she smacked herself in the forehead.

She sat in her chair for a few minutes trying to think of something she could do.

'I can't tell Gohan, he'd flip out and Videl would get worried and Hercule seems to be a touchy subject for Aaliyah…. I guess I'll just have to tell Goku and Vegeta and just ask them to keep an eye out.' She though as she stood up to go search for the two men.

She walked to the gravity chamber and looked in. Of course, Vegeta was sparring Goku.

She punched the code in so the gravity would return to normal then entered the chamber.

Vegeta panted as he gave a glare to his wife.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked angrily, and then assumed it was something fairly serious because she never interrupted them.

Bulma glared at her husband then closed the chamber doors and walked over to the two men.

"I just got a call, someone asked if Videl was there then I said yes and I asked who was calling and then Hercule said he wanted to speak to her… HERCULE KNOWS VIDELS HERE!" She said as she tried to keep her voice down but failed in the end.

"And this is of my concern because…?" Vegeta asked as he crossed his arms.

Bulma put on a face that Vegeta could never resist.

"Vegeta, Hercule beats Videl, he put her down, and it's his fault she's so skinny! Please just keep an eye out for her. If you see something out of the ordinary check it out. Please" Bulma said with clasped hands.

"Don't worry Bulma we'll make sure she's ok. But why didn't you tell Gohan?" Goku asked as he wiped off some sweat

"I would its just… You know just as well as I do Gohan loves her. He'd go insane if he knew Hercule might be poking his fat head around. By the looks of it he already helped her with one major problem. There's no need to worry about another when we can prevent the stress" She said with a small smile.

"You got it!" Goku said as he gave a thumb up.

She looked at Vegeta and he sighed and grunted.

"Fine" he said quietly.

"Thank you sweetie, thanks Goku," she said as she kissed Vegeta on the cheek and gave Goku a small hug.

"Anyways, I'm going to go finish Videl's dress, she's gonna look so hot!" She said as she left the room to leave the men to do what ever they wanted.

Both men stood quietly before Vegeta spoke up.

"I may not like it, but I think you son has made a good choice for a woman" Vegeta said as he grabbed a towel and patted his face try.

Goku smiled proudly. "Videl is a perfect match for Gohan. She keeps him in line, and you can tell just by this morning he's helped her out a lot" Goku said, as his smiled never faded.

"If I didn't know any better Vegeta I'd say you like my son" Goku said with a sly smile.

Vegeta glared at Goku

"Good thing you know better," he mumbled as he left the chamber to go change.

Goten walked hand and hand with Gohan as they made their way to the back of Capsule Corp.

"Gohan will you give me a ride?" Goten asked excitedly as they walked towards Bulma's outdoor skating rink.

The group of them was all going to go skating together to celebrate the almost new year.

"You got it squirt," Gohan said as they walked into the backward.

Gohan opened the back door once he did up his coat and saw that everyone was already out there and…. Was that Videl?

He thought as he looked out and say someone doing an amazing skating routine

Gohan walked with Goten over to Goku.

"She's really good!" Goku said as he watched her perform.

Videl was skating to Queen's 'I want to break free', and she was doing it with way more confidence then she had her first performance.

At one part in the song, she stopped did a little dance then skated backwards and did a full backwards flip.

The whole while she did this, her smile never left her face and she never once looked down.

"Gohan, whatever you did it worked wonders," Goku said as he patted his son on the back.

"I didn't think she'd take it to heart. I thought I'd have to work at it." Gohan looked back out just as Videl was finishing her routine.

Gohan started tying up his skates.

Once he finished he stood up, just as he finished Videl finished and smiled at all the applauds she was getting.

She grinned wildly as she saw Gohan. She skated over to him.

"Hey you!" She said as she reached him.

"Hey" he said with a smile as she held her hands out.

"Lets skate!" she said as she pulled him away.

Gohan laughed as they skated together.

"Videl?" he asked as he slowly came to a stop.

"Yeah" she answered as she stopped as well

"Not that it's a bad thing…. but why the sudden attitude change? You went from all depressed to happy. I've never seen you like this" he said earning a smile from her.

"I'm listening to you. I thought about it and I had this dream. And in the dream one little boy made all the difference and thought it related to you. So I decided I'd try it out. Don't get me wrong I still have issues with my self…. but I'm actually feeling good about my self for the most part" She said as she leaned up and pecked him on the cheek.

Gohan smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment then he felt Videl pull at him.

"Come on, I heard Gohan wanted to skate with you" she said as they went off again.

Meanwhile while everyone is skating the 4 women snuck off.

"Alright guys 18 and I have almost finished the dress. Tomorrow Aaliyah and Bulma are getting the shoes and jewelry correct?" Chi Chi said as they made their way to the sewing room.

They walked into the room and locked the door.

"Alright you guys ready to see it?" Chi Chi said excitedly

18 pulled off the sheet that was covering it as everyone gawked at it.

"Its so pretty!" Aaliyah said as she circled around the mannequin

"We still have to make a few alterations, and stitch some things up, but yeah that's basically it" 18 said proudly

"This is so hot! Gohan is going to go nuts!" Bulma said as the women started talking about plans of children in their future and other things.

After everyone had finished skating Vegeta went go to the gravity chamber when he heard the phone ring.

After it rang twice he grumbled something then answered.

"What do you want?" he barked into the phone.

"Hello sir, good after noon. Is Videl there, please?" the male voice responded politely

Vegeta was quiet for a minute. "Who wants to know?" he asked suspiciously

"I'm the Great Hercule. I'm her father, I'm very worried about her, may I please talk to her so I can make sure she's alright" Hercule responded once again playing the 'upset father' card.

Vegeta glared at the phone. He'd never admit it, but he had a soft spot for Gohan's girlfriend. He had never in his life seen a female quite like her. She could handle everything he threw at her. And he respected her greatly for what that jackass has out her through.

"Don't you dare call my number again you asshole" he said then slammed the phone down.

Meanwhile

Videl was in her room; she had finished skating about an hour ago and decided to go to her room.

Whenever Videl got really board she started to clean, so she did.

She started humming a tune as she made her bead

She stopped halfway through bed making and turned the radio on, hearing a song she liked, she cranked it and started singing along with it.

_Wish I knew then what I know now  
You held all the cards and sold me out  
Baby, shame on you if you fooled me once,  
Shame on me if you fooled me twice  
You've been a pretty hard case to crack  
I should've known better but I didn't and I can't go back_

She sang as she went back over to the bed

Because the music was so loud she failed to hear a knock on the door.

_Oooh, life goes on, and it's only gonna make me strong  
Its a fact, once you get on board say goodbye cuz you can't go back  
Oooh, it's a fight, and I really wanna get it right  
Where I'm at, is my life before me, got this feeling that I can't go back_

The last few lines were sun with out accompaniment. Videl jumped as she heard clapping behind her, and whizzed around to find Bulma standing beside the stereo.

"Bulma! You scared the crap out of me! I didn't know you were there," Videl said as she caught her breath.

"Gohan was right" Bulma simply stated earning a confused look.

"What?" she asked.

"He said you could sing really well, and you do. Oh! You should sing at the New Years Eve bash! This song is perfect for you!" She said with a giggle.

Videl blushed a little "I don't know Bulma, I kinda have stage fright, and I don't think it would be a good idea…"

"Nonsense, you'll have an amazing dress, and a beautiful voice to go with it" Bulma said as she wrapped her around the girl.

Videl hesitated a bit.

'Well…. I've tried some new things so far and they felt good. Why not?' she hesitantly

"Alright, but I want practice. I need to get over my fear." Videl said

"Ehehehehe!" Bulma squealed, " You're not going to regret this! Come-on lets go run through a practice quickly!" Bulma said happily as she pulled Videl's arm as she walked.

Videl sweat dropped but followed.

Bulma lead her a series of twists and turns until they reached the room beside Bulma's office.

They walked in and locked the door behind them. Bulma released Videl and started typing on her computer.

"Alright, this room is sound proof. So you could scream as loud as you wanted and no one would know. I've come here before, when Vegeta has done something to annoy me. Anyways, lets run through it. Do you know all the words?" Bulma questioned as she spun to face Videl, in her chair.

Videl nodded dumbly.

"Alright, lets run through it then"

Videl once again nodded dumbly as Bulma turned back to her computer and clicked on play.

Videl heard the music play and started to get a lump in her throat.

'No, I can do this'

In just as Videl was about to belt out a tune, Bulma stopped the music catching Videl by surprise.

"What's the matter?" She asked confused.

"I have a better idea," she said as she turned around and rummaged through a box then pulled out a pair of headphones.

"Put these on. They'll play the music in there, then I can hear you better" she said as she handed the head phones over to Videl.

Videl put them on and nodded. Once again the music started playing. Videl took a deep breath then sang.

_You sucked me in and played my mind  
Just like a toy you would crank and wind  
Baby, I would give till you wore it out  
You left me lying in a pool of doubt  
If you're still thinkin' you're the daddy mac  
You should've known better but you didn't and I can't go back_

Bulma gawked at the woman as she sang. She had heard she was talented, and could tell by the bit she had heard previously, but it was amazing when there was no other sound.

Videl continued the song, never once opening her eyes.

Once Videl was done she closed her eyes tightly.

She peeked on eye open and saw a huge grin on Bulma's face she slowly opened the other eye then took the headphones off.

"What?" she asked.

"That was amazing! I knew you could sing but…wow!" She said as she hugged the teenager.

Videl smiled a little.

"Thanks" she said as she hugged back.

"You wanna hear the play back?" Bulma asked once again with a grin on.

Videl laughed a little.

"Alright lets hear it," she said as she sat on the extra chair.

All right guys, I'm going to leave it there because I wanted to post a chapter for my awesome fans! Thanks SOOOOOO much for being so patient, I hope you like it. Again I'm really sorry but I've been really caught up, especially now that exams are coming up and I'm not in a semester school.


	11. The Days Before New Year's

I'd like to extend my deepest apologies for the long delay in response. I've recently felt a passion for writing and a video game brought me back to DBZ. After being brought back through the events through a game, it made me remember my story and as I read through it, I had a whirlwind of ideas swarm through my head.

I'm now 21 and have matured as a writer and I only hope my writing for this chapter will be better than before. I'd like to thank anyone who's a fan and who has remained a fan. Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 11:

'Thinking'

"Talking"

Videl sat in the chair beside Bulma's computer quietly. She had to admit, she most certainly hadn't given herself enough credit originally; granted she'd never really heard herself sing before.

'Maybe she altered the pitch or tone in my voice' she thought to herself as she saw the older woman grinning out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, what do you think?" a grinning Bulma had asked Videl.

"I must admit, it's better than I thought it would be. Did you do anything to alter the sound? I never pictured myself sounding like that" Videl stated as she blushed a little and stared blankly at the computer screen.

"Nope, that's all you girl! That's quite the talent you've got there eh?" Bulma replied, once again, her smile never fading.

"It's certainly not what I expected" she replied quietly.

"Well, will you sing at the new years eve bash? Every now and then we have karaoke, just sometimes it doesn't really catch on because no one has the nerve to be the first to sing…that is until someone's had a few too many drinks" Bulma answered as she rolled her eyes, images of previous years with Yamcha and Roshi flashing through her head.

"I guess I could give it a shot, but I want at least three other people to sing on that stage as well." Videl replied, not believing she had actually agreed to it.

"You got it hun. Tell you what, I'll get four more people, and you sing at least two songs. Deal?" Bulma asked as she extended her hand out to Videl.

Videl hesitated for a moment then reached out and gently shook Bulma's hand "You've got a deal Bulma".

Bulma beamed, "Videl, you're going to be so amazing; what other song did you have in mind to sing?"

Videl blushed a little, "uh, lemme think about it and I'll get back to you" she replied sheepishly as she stared at her feet. Videl sat quietly for a few more seconds then started to feel a little nauseous again.

"Hey Bulma, are you alright if we end this? I'm not feeling very well at the moment" Videl said as she lightly clutched her stomach.

Bulma's face turned into one of concern and question as she leaned forward and gently pressed the back of her hand against the teen's forehead. "You feel like you are starting to warm up. How bout you go upstairs and lay in your room and I'll get Chi Chi to fix up some of her soup for you."

All Videl did was nod gently and got up from her seated position. She felt herself lose her balance a little so she reached out to the chair and steadied herself. Looking up she was met with the concerned face of Bulma.

"Hun, are you ok? Do you want me to help you to your room, or at least get Gohan for you?" She asked as she put her hand on Videl's shoulder to help steady her a little.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind if you could help me back to my room" Videl replied with a weak laugh "I don't know what the heck is going on in my body but it feels like it's hit me like a ton of bricks." she said as she gently rubbed her head in an attempt to regain her balance.

"Not a problem hun" Bulma said as she wrapped one of Videls arms around her shoulder and the other around her waist. "Want me to tell Gohan that you're getting ill again?" She said, making conversation with the teen as she weaved down hallways.

"As much as I would love his company, maybe not tell him" Videl replied as they approached a wide spiral stair case.

Bulma gave Videl a confused look "If you don't mind my asking, why don't you want me to tell Gohan you're not feeling well again?"

"Honestly? I feel really bad…he's done so much for me in such a little time. I haven't even gotten the chance to try and make it up to him; it just feels like I keep taking." Videl replied. As she walked up the stairs she became very aware of her fever. She could feel her eyes becoming watery, and felt the chills starting to hit her.

Bulma wasn't sure what to say after Videl's comment so she walked the girl to her room in silence.

Once they reached Videl's room, she opened the door and led Videl to the bed and helped her sit on the bed. Bulma then pulled down a corner of the covers and motioned for Videl to lie down. Videl quietly obliged and then Bulma proceeded to tuck her in gently to help her try and warm up.

"Thanks Bulma" Videl replied weakly. The walking she had just done now completely wiped her out as she felt her fever starting to gain strength on her.

Bulma offered Videl a motherly smile, "You're welcome sweetie" she said as she gently felt Videls forehead again. "For the record Videl, I do know how it feels; to feel like you're continually taking from a man that keeps on giving. But I just want you to know that even though your relationship is young, Gohan really does love and care very much for you and would gladly do anything if it would get you to crack a smile" she said, reflecting back on her own relationship.

"But anyways hun, I'll go and get you something to help you with that fever and get some soup sent up here for you. For now just lie in bed and relax. Best way to get over an illness is a little rest and relaxation" Bulma said as she stood up and started to walk towards the door.

"Thanks Bulma" Videl said quietly as she offered her a small smile.

Bulma offered Videl a smile back the quietly shut the door and walked through the maze of hallways until she reached the living room. She peered inside and saw Goku sitting with Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Marron.

"Hey guys, have any of you seen Chi Chi? I've got a request for her soup" Bulma asked as she briefly distracted Gohan and Goku, the kids eyes had never left the TV.

"Have you tried the kitchen Bulma? Mom's always cooking something throughout the day" Gohan answered as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Who put in the request for soup?" Goku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh no need to worry, someone's just feeling a touch under the weather" Bulma replied, hoping she hadn't given too much away to reveal that it was for Videl, trying to respect the young girls wishes.

"Bulma, have you seen Videl recently? I haven't seen her in almost two hours…wait, is she the one not feeling well? Her mom had mentioned that she'd probably get sick for a brief period of time after recovering" Gohan asked, now completely turning to direct his attention to the older woman who was now desperately trying to avoid his gaze.

"I was asked to not mention anything. But Goku, if you must know, yes Videl is the one who's not feeling well and yes she does have a bit of a fever" Bulma mentioned; technically she didn't disregard Videls promise, as she directed her answer to Goku, and not Gohan.

Goku rose an eyebrow "Bulma, I didn't ask anything Gohan did. Are you the one not feeling well?" He said innocently as he scratched his head.

Gohan got up off the couch and headed up the stairs, no doubt going to Videl's room.

"Goku, you're oblivious sometimes, you know that?" Bulma asked as she lightly shook her head at him, only to receive his traditional Son grin.

Gohan walked up the stairs quickly as he made his way towards Videl's room.

'Why wouldn't Videl want me to know she's not feeling well again?' He thought to himself as he continued to move at a quickened pace.

Before entering Videl's room he went into his bathroom and grabbed something for her fever from his medicine cabinet then filled up a glass of water. After he had grabbed everything he needed, he proceeded to walk over to Videl's door and knocked quietly. He hadn't heard a response so he walked in quietly and shut the door silently.

He turned around and found Videl laying in the middle of her queen size bed with her back to him. He could tell that she was shivering underneath all the covers and could lightly hear her teeth chattering.

Gohan walked over to her bed and put the glass of water down beside the pills on the night stand. He sat on the bed beside her and reached over to feel her forehead. He heard her moan a little as he touched her hot skin.

Videl rolled over with her eyes closed, "Bulma, your hands are so cold" she murmured out as she shivered under what she thought was Bulma's touch.

Gohan smiled lightly, "I brought you something to bring down your fever" he said gently.

Videl's eyes snapped open and she jumped a little as her gaze focused on Gohan. "You're not Bulma" she blurted out accidently.

Gohans smile grew lightly, "Nope, can't say I am Bulma" he said as he brushed strands of hair out of her face.

"I asked her not to tell you I wasn't feeling well" Videl said quietly as she leaned herself up against the pillows.

Gohan took on a slightly hurt look, "Well, she didn't tell me, technically she told my dad, but I was in the room" he said as he watched her avoid his gaze. "Why didn't you want me to know you weren't feeling well?" he asked quietly.

Videl looked up at him with glassy, feverish eyes "Please don't take it personally".

"If you'd rather be alone Videl, I can leave, I just wanted to make sure you were alright" Gohan said quietly. He went to slowly get up but felt two clammy hands grasp his arm and gently pull him back.

"I felt bad. It seems like every time you do something wonderfully nice for me, before I even get the chance to even try to repay you, you do another nice thing for me. I just… I feel like I'm taking advantage of you. I love your company, and don't you ever doubt it… I just thought you might be getting annoyed with having to take care of me again" She said quietly as she turned her gaze away from him.

"Can I lie down?" Gohan asked, knowing the answer would be a yes.

Gohan lay down under the covers beside Videl then motioned for her to come closer. Once she came closer, he embraced her in a big hug.

"V, I would do absolutely anything for you at any time. I could never be annoyed by someone who makes me so happy and I will never grow tired of taking care of whatever need you may have. If you're sick, I want to take care of you" he said as he gently rubbed her back while he hugged her.

Videl lifted her head and offered a weak smile, "Promise?" she asked.

Gohan smiled down to her, "Promise "he answered back. He then gently leaned down and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. After the parted from the kiss he spoke up, "I brought you something for your fever V. It'll probably knock you out so hopefully you'll sleep off the last bit of this bug you've had and then you'll be on the mend".

Videl leaned up as Gohan turned around to get the pills and glass of water, and then passed them to Videl to let her take them.

After Videl had swallowed the pills she blushed lightly, "Gohan, could I ask a small favour of you?" she said, her eyes never fully meeting Gohans gaze.

"Of course, what would you like?" he asked.

"Would… you lay with me until I fell asleep? It's just that you're really warm, and I'm really cold" she said, her blush growing a little darker.

Gohan blushed a little but replied "I'd be happy to lay with you until you fell asleep" he said with a smile.

"Thanks" she said quietly as she leaned up and gave his a gentle kiss on the cheek. Videl then lay down on the bed again and moved a little closer to Gohan.

Gohan blushed a little but enjoyed having Videl this close to him. Gohan wrapped his arms around Videl and she buried her face into his chest. Her shivers disappeared after awhile and very soon she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

*~* A Little while later*~*

"Goku, have you seen Gohan? Dinner's almost ready" Chi Chi called from the kitchen as she continued to put food onto dishes.

Goku walked into the kitchen, "last I saw him he had gone to give Videl something for her fever" he said as he plucked some chicken from a plate and popped it into his mouth.

"Oh no, that poor dear, I hope she's alright" she said to herself as she looked over at her husband and noticed him chewing something. She lifted an eyebrow to question him.

"Awh come on Chi…it's just too hard to resist!" he said as he walked over and hugged his petite wife from behind.

Chi Chi let herself smile, "You know Goku, you're lucky you're so sweet or I'd be annoyed right now" she said s she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

Goku let out a laugh, "Yea I guess I do get lucky" he said as he hugged her closer and returned the kiss.

"Sweetie do you think you could go and get Gohan and see if Videl feels up for eating? I would go do it but I've got a few more dishes to dish out" she said as she continued to dish out the endless amounts of food for the final meal of the day.

"Sure think Chi" Goku said as he once again squeezed Chi Chi a little tighter, gave her another kiss, and then made his way to Videl's room.

Once Goku had arrived at Videl's room he knocked on the door gently. He waited a moment but heard no response so he knocked again a little louder, but again no response. Goku decided that this was pointless and opened the door slowly.

He covered his eyes and blushed a little "You two better not be doing anything you shouldn't be doing. Cuz quite frankly it's going to be embarrassing on both our ends" Goku said, but once again he received no reply.

He peeked through between his fingers then lowered his hand completely and smiled at the sight before him. Gohan had both arms protectively wrapped around Videl, while she had her face buried in his chest.

'I hate to wake them up…but Chi probably won't let us have any food till they're down' he thought to himself as he gently nudged his son.

"Gooohaaaan" he said quietly as he tried to wake his son. Goku nudged him a little harder, but no movement came from Gohan.

"Man, I guess he really does take after me" he said aloud then lightly smacked his son in the arm causing him to stir.

"Do you know…the muffin man" Gohan said drowsily as he opened his eyes. Gohan turned to see his dad standing beside the bed with an eyebrow raised in questioning.

"The muffin man?" Goku asked in an amused tone of voice.

"The muffin man?" Gohan questioned him back, having no idea what his dad was talking about.

Goku laughed a little, "I went to wake you up and you asked if I knew the muffin man. Well to answer your question I don't…but I sure wish I did. I bet he makes a really good muffin" he said as he smiled at the thought of muffins.

"Haha I have no idea what you're talking about dad" Gohan said keeping his voice down as to not disturb Videl.

"Well, I don't either. But your mom asked me to tell you that dinner is pretty much ready" Goku said as he rubbed his belly and the tough of more of Chi Chi's cooking.

"Alright I'll be right down" Gohan said as he stretched out a little. Goku left the room, no doubt heading back o the kitchen to try and sneak more food before it was served.

"Videl" Gohan nudged her gently trying to wake her up. "Videl dinner is ready, would you like something?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Videl stirred lightly, but stayed asleep. Gohan pressed his hand on her forehead and felt her fever had gone down a little. He gave her a gentle hug and kissed her forehead then carefully got out of bed as to not disturb her. He once again leaned down and kissed her cheek then quietly left the room.

Gohan walked down to the dining room to see that everyone had already taken a seat and were patiently, for the most part, waiting for Gohan and Videl to arrive.

"Gohan, where's Videl?" Goten asked as his big brother sat beside him.

"She's feeling a little under the weather squirt, so she's in her room sleeping now" Gohan said as he made himself comfortable in his seat. As he sat down everyone started to grab their own food and started eating.

"Gohan should I save any food for Videl?" Chi Chi asked as she calmly ate her piece of chicken.

Gohan swallowed half a bowlful of rice then got a drink before he replied to his mom. "I'm not too sure if she'll eat it. Not that there's anything wrong with it. But do you think we have any soup around?" He asked trying not to shove food in his mouth while he's talking.

"I could make some up for her later on" Chi Chi said again as she cut into her food.

"By the way Gohan, did you give her anything to get rid of that fever?" Bulma asked, casually making conversation.

"Yeah, there was a bottle of pills in my medicine cabinet that listed fever relief so I gave her one of those" he said trying to be as patient as possible between mouthfuls.

"Was that pill by any chance green?" She said after taking a sip of water. She looked over at Gohan who nodded then went back to him food.

Bulma let out a small laugh, "Well, she'll be out cold until tomorrow afternoon. But on the bright side, she should have none of that fever left in her; I made them for saiyans" she said going back to her meal.

"I think sleep will do her some good. I don't think she's been sleeping too well, and she's had a pretty rough past few days" Aaliyah said glad to hear that this young man was taking care of her little girl.

"I'll check up on her after dinner, and if she's still asleep, then I'll pop in before I go to bed" Gohan said as he quickly swallowed his food.

Bulma let out a sly smile, "Gohan, Videl is going to knock your socks off when you see her in her new year's gown" she said, catching the attention of the teen saiyan.

"Oh yea? What does the dress look like?" Gohan asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Oh no you don't. You're just gonna wait and see, but I promise you, you'll be stunned" Chi Chi said adding into the conversation.

"I bet you guys will start working on grandkids for me that night" Chi Chi said again, with stars in her eyes.

Gohan let a blush creep to his cheeks, "Mom, we've only been dating for a few days".

"You love her" Chi Chi said bluntly. Everyone at the dinner table was starting to listen in to the conversation , snickering at Gohans increasingly red face.

Gohan said nothing and kept looking down at his plate, all the while blushing at the attention he was receiving.

"I think it's adorable the way you two act together" Aaliyah said with a smile on her face. "I've watched over her for years and since you two have met, its sweet how close you two have gotten and how protective you've grown."

"Videl is a one in a million type of person" Gohan said quietly as he finished up one of his last plates of food.

Goku smiled at his son as he filled his last plate full of food. 'Videl will make the perfect wife for him, I've never seen anyone outside of Chi Chi that can keep him this in line before' he thought to himself as he shovelled food into his mouth.

"Mom, that was delicious. Would you like help with the dishes?" Gohan asked as he pushed himself away from the table.

"No that's alright sweetie, if you could just bring your load of dishes into the kitchen that'd be great. Go see how Videl's doing" Chi Chi said as she flashed her eldest son a smile. Gohan simply nodded and brought a stack of plates into the kitchen then made him way to Videl's room.

As he arrived at the door he quietly knocked on Videl's door but when he heard no answer he quietly slipped into her room. Sure enough Videl was still sound asleep in the middle of her bed just as he had left her.

"Poor girl" he said quietly as he sat beside her and lightly ran his hand through her hair. He felt her forehead and was glad to see that once again her fever had gone down a bit more.

"I guess Bulma was right, she's going to be out until tomorrow. Oh well, her mom was right, she really could use the sleep." He said as he gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek, then gave her another small kiss on the lips

He made his way to the door then looked back again to make sure she was indeed asleep then left the room.

Gohan walked back downstairs to see his dad walking around as if he were looking for something. "Dad, what are you doing?" he questioned as he approached his father.

Goku's eyes lit up "Hey Gohan! Want to spar in the gravity chamber? I was going to ask Vegeta but I can't seem to find him at the moment".

"Sure dad, it has been awhile since I've had a good workout. Just let me go and change into something a little less heavy" Gohan said as he turned around again to go and slip some training pants on.

Goku smiled and nodded his head, "Alright, I'll meet you at the gravity chamber k?" He said, receiving a nod from Gohan then left.

While Goku was walking back to the gravity chamber he heard a knocking at the door. "I wonder who that could be" he said out loud as he walked to the door and opened it.

Goku's eyes widened as he opened the door.

"Hello there my good sir, I'm the great Hercule, although I'm sure you already know that. But anyways, I have reason to believe my daughter Videl is here and I haven't seen her in awhile. I'm deeply concerned about her. May I see my baby girl if she's there please?" Hercule asked, in a friendly tone to Goku.

Goku's eyes narrowed a little; he wanted so badly to give this man an earful for the way he's treated his daughter and the emotional damage he's caused to her. But figured that would accomplish him nothing so he spoke in as friendly as a voice as he could muster. "I'm sorry to say sir, but your daughter isn't here now. Happy new years!" He said as he quickly shut the door.

'Bulma now you've done it, that moron knows she's here' he thought to himself as he walked towards the gravity chamber.

Goku though upon the situation for a little while longer until Gohan came down and knocked him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, something on your mind dad?" Gohan asked with an arched eyebrow. It wasn't too often he saw his dad lost in thought.

"Huh? Oh! Nope not a thing just…staring off into space, haha you know me!" He said trying to cover up. He flashed his son a grin and put his hand behind his head as he did so, giving off his traditional smile. "Ready to go?" He asked

Gohan nodded as he walked into the gravity chamber with his dad. He decided that in the case of sparring, less was more so all he wore was a pair of training pants and no shirt.

"What do you say, start at 50 times gravity?" Goku asked as he walked towards the computer to type it in.

Gohan was in the middle of stretching when he replied, "sure, sounds like a good way to warm up" he said as he stretched his upper body now.

Goku turned around after adjusting the gravity. "Let's do this" Gohan said with a smirk as they started to spar.

*~* Elsewhere*~*

"That little bitch is hiding from me, I know it! I've gotta try and figure out what room she's in…" Hercule said out loud as he slowly crept around the Brief's property.

He saw a few rooms with lights on so he crept towards them. The first light he saw on, he crept towards it then ducked quickly as a group of people were in what appeared to be the living room. Then he saw a light on in a window on the second floor. Being the strong man he was he decided to try and climb up the siding on the wall. However, it turned out that when you have icy siding, you fall. Hercule did just that, he climbed part way up only to hit and icy spot and land on his butt.

"Stupid big house" he mumbled to himself in a bad mood. He noticed a tree and decided to try and climb that and look inside the small window. Luck was on his side, he quickly climbed up the branchy tree and crawled out onto a thick limb to peer through the window.

Hercule quickly pushed himself back on the tree to avoid the sight he had just seen. He just saw what looked to be an old man sitting in a bathroom with what he thought was a Victoria secret catalogue. Enough said there.

"This better be it" he mumbled to himself again as he once again scaled a tree and jumped on the balcony of what he could only assume was a bedroom.

He stepped onto the balcony and looked through the thin curtains'. There was his daughter sound asleep in the middle of a large bed, with a single bedroom lamp turned on.

His blood boiled at the sight of his bitch of a daughter lying in the bed of some rich woman.

'Who do these people think they are hiding my daughter from me? She's so in for it when I get her home' he thought to himself angrily as he fiddled with the lock on the French doors.

Luck was yet again on Hercules side as he managed to get the lock to click and open. He quietly walked over to his daughter as she peacefully slept. He grit his teeth wanting to yell and scream at her right then in there. Oh yes, she was indeed in for a good punishing.

He slapped her upside the head to try and wake her up, but when she didn't he forcefully grabbed her arm and yanked her out of bed. This was enough to wake her up a little.

"Ow…what's going on" she managed to slur out as she tried to adjust her eyes to the dimly lit room.

"You son of a bitch you're going to get it now." Hercule said as he pulled his daughter towards the balcony.

Videl froze; her father had managed to find her. All she could to at that moment was muster out a scream.

As soon as that scream left her mouth a yell came from outside the doors.

"What the hell is going on in there?" a typical Vegeta yelled.

"Crap!" Hercule exclaimed as he quickly ran towards the balcony leaving a drowsy Videl lying on the floor just at the end of her bed.

Vegeta opened the door and all he saw was a half asleep Videl laying on the floor and the curtains of her balcony blowing in a breeze.

He walked over to Videl and was greeted with teary and drowsy eyes.

"He was here, he grabbed me…and…how?" She mustered out as the medication was fighting to knock her back out again.

"You must have dreamed it, there's no one here" Vegeta said knowing full well that Hercule was getting ballsier. He watched as Videl tried to unsuccessfully lift herself off of the ground then rolled his eyes and picked her up and gently put her back on the bed.

"Go back to sleep, you're hallucinating" He said as he went to close and lock the balcony doors. After he locked the doors he shot a small energy blast at the door to melt is shut to insure that her idiot of a father wouldn't be able to break back in.

"I must be…you're being awfully nice to me…" Videl said as she trailed off, a yawn taking over.

"Go back to sleep" was all Vegeta said as he took a quick look out her bedroom windows then exited her room quietly and shut the door behind him. He then ventured of to find Goku knowing that they'd have to step up their watch on the teen girl.

Vegeta walked off to find Bulma knowing it was urgent that he talk to Goku. He figured that she'd probably be in her office so he went there and knocked on the door and heard a quiet 'come in'.

"Do you know where Kakarot is?" He asked his wife as she was fiddling with her computer.

"Last I heard he was in the gravity chamber with Gohan sparing but that was about an hour again. Ha but you know you saiyans always training so he's probably still in there. Why do you ask babe?" She said as she now turned around in her chair and gave him her undivided attention.

"That girls father broke into the house and tried to take her" he stated.

Bulmas jaw dropped, "oh my god, Hercule tried to take Videl? How can you be sure? What did you do?" she questioned now getting worried.

"I heard her scream so I came into the room and her balcony doors were opened and she was lying on the ground. She was barely awake because of those pills so I told her she must be hallucinating. I knew full and well she wasn't, she had a hand mark on her arm so I just told her to go back to sleep then I melted the lock on her balcony door" He said as he leaned against the door frame.

"Oh crap… I'm such an idiot, this is all my fault" Bulma exclaimed as she stood up and smacked her head.

"I'm going to talk to Kakarot so we can keep a closer eye on things. I really think you should tell his son though" he said watching his wife smack her head lightly.

"No, he'd be so worried about her; I just want to give him a break from it for a short while. Please, just you and Goku just keep a close eye on her?" she asked as she walked towards her husband.

"I will and I'm sure he will too" he said as Bulma reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug. He returned the hug as she leaned up and gave him a kiss.

"You're a big softie you know that sweetie" she said earning a small smile from Vegeta.

"Only for you, but I should be off" He said as he received another kiss.

"Alright, thanks sweetie" she said as she watched him leave her office.

*~* Elsewhere*~*

Gohan quickly wiped the sweat out of his eyes as his dad threw another punch at him that he quickly dodged.

Gohan quickly responded by throwing a series of punches and kicks. He landed the last kick and sent Goku flying into the wall when Goku quickly fired an energy blast at him that hit him in the chest and sent him flying into the other side of the gravity chamber.

Once Gohan got up he saw his father stopping to take a break so Gohan followed his suit. They had been sparring for over an hour and had managed to work their way up to almost 200 times gravity.

"You've certainly got a lot of energy in you still" Goku said as he wiped his face with his wrist guard.

"Well, if you had put all of your energy into it, we both know you would have beaten me" Gohan said with a laugh as Goku simply shook his head knowing full well that he had given it everything he had and Gohan had still been holding back.

Just as the two men were taking a break the doors to the gravity chamber opened and the gravity went back to normal and Vegeta walk in.

"Kakarot we need to talk, now…alone" He said as he narrowed his eyes trying to hint to Goku as to what he needed to talk to him about.

"Is everything alright Vegeta?" Gohan asked trying to figure out what was so urgent.

"Fine, now go away" He said as Goku caught onto what he was thinking.

"It's not a big deal Gohan, Vegeta and I are just trying to work out the kinks in something" Goku said trying to relieve his son.

"Alright, well I think I'm gonna go shower then" he said as he gave the two older men a wave and walked out of the room only to have the doors promptly shut and locked as soon as he walked out.

"That girl's father was in her room today trying to take her."

"Whoa, no way… that seems pretty brave for a guy like Hercule" Goku said with a stunned look on his face.

"She was lying on the floor with a hand print on her shoulder; she could barely stand up because of that medication so there's no way she moved herself there, I had to put her on her bed. But her balcony doors were opened and I sealed them with an energy blast" Vegeta said.

"Now that you mention it, he did come and knock at the front door earlier saying how he's concerned and has reason to believe to believe she was staying here. I just kinda shut the door and told him he must be mistaken" Goku said as he scratched his head as he thought. "I guess she's going to tell Gohan now, so much for keeping it quiet from him".

"I don't think she will. Like I said, she was pretty doped up from the medication and I think I convinced her she was hallucinating, I don't think she even remembered screaming. She just said she must be hallucinating because I was being nice to her" Vegeta said as he leaned against the computer.

Goku let out a laugh, "well I guess that does give her reason to believe she was hallucinating. Admit it, you like her" Goku said poking fun at the rare moments when Vegetas kindness makes an appearance.

"I think she'll make a good saiyan wife. I don't believe in beating up women simply to exert my strength now do I believe in insulting them till they look that thin. I do have a degree of respect for the girl and all that she has endured" Vegeta said, not making eye contact with Goku knowing he'd have a big goofy smile on his face.

"Wow… I can see why she thought she was hallucinating. You've certainly changed Vegeta, but for the good. I completely agree; I guess we'll have to keep a closer eye on her then eh?" He said as he walked towards the gravity chamber doors.

"That's what Bulma had asked of us" he said as he followed Goku out of the gravity room.

*~* Meanwhile*~*

Gohan walked to his room silently. He had managed to get pretty sweaty while sparring with his dad so he thought that a hot shower would do him some good.

He walked into his room and closed the door then grabbed a towel out of his closet then went into his bathroom. He stepped in the bathroom and started to think as he took off his clothes and turned on the hot water.

'I wonder what Vegeta had to talk to my dad about. Same with I wonder why I couldn't hear about it' he thought as he stepped into the hot shower and relaxed under the stream of water.

Gohan closed his eyes and took a deep breath simply enjoying the water relaxing his tense muscles. 'I should probably check on Videl after my shower' he thought as he washed his hair.

Twenty minutes later a slightly steamy Gohan stepped out of his shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He rubbed an extra towel on his head quickly to get rid of any loose water in his hair and then stepped out of the bathroom whistling.

"I didn't know you could whistle" a quiet voice said from the corner of Gohan's room.

Gohan let out a little jump as he grabbed his towel with one hand and covered his pecs with the other then blushed as he say Videl sitting on the far corner of his bed.

Videl studied Gohan for a moment and then let a dark blush creep to her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" she said as she admired Gohan's physique.

Gohan blushed as he lowered his hand from his chest, the blush never leaving his cheeks.

Videl covered a little yawn and then laughed "Why did you cover your chest?"

"I…don't know. I always see people in the movies do it" he stated as he gave his famous smile.

Videl let another smile creep to her cheeks, "You know it's women who covered their chest, see Gohan, we have breasts" she said as she pointed to her chest "you don't have man boobies so all you're doing is covering muscle" she said as she finished by poking Gohan in one of his pecs.

Gohans blush darkened as Videl poked him in his hard chest a few more times.

"Hold on a second, I'll go and get changed" he said, again with a blush still lingering on his cheeks. He grabbed a pair of plaid pajama pants and a white tank top and then slipped into his bathroom. A few seconds later he reappeared.

"Hey, why are you out of bed?" he asked as he sat down beside Videl and felt her forehead smiling as he noticed her fever was almost gone.

"I woke up, but I'm feeling pretty tired so I thought I'd come and say hi and maybe ask for some company…?" she asked, letting a little bit of her shy personality show through.

Gohan gave her a big grin "I'd love to say hi and give you some company" he said as he scooted over closer to her.

"Hey did you want something to eat or drink?" he asked as he simply starred deep into her eyes.

"I wouldn't mind a glass of water actually, I'm not too hungry" she said as she rubbed her heavy eyes a little.

"Are you actually not hungry or are you pretending not hungry?" Gohan asked with a worried look on his face.

"I promise I'm sincerely not hungry" she said as she extended her pinkie finger as proof of her promise. Gohan reached and hooked his pinkie finger on hers lightly and smiled and leaned forward to kiss her lips lightly.

"Good; you look like you're going to fall asleep again soon you know that?" He asked as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Yea, I feel like I could fall asleep again" she said as she smiled, enjoying Gohans cool skin against hers.

"Tell you what, I'll run down to the kitchen and grab a couple of crackers just in case you get hungry and I'll grab you a cup of water while I'm down there. You can pick out a movie and we'll watch it together until you fall asleep alright?" He asked as he slowly stood up.

"Sounds good to me" Videl said as Gohan reached a hand out and helped her to her feet.

He gave her a smile and leaned down and gave her a small kiss then grinned.

"What?" She asked with a small smile playing on her lips.

"I love that I'm able to do that when I want and not have to worry about offending you…hopefully" He said playfully.

Videl reached up and hugged him around his neck "You may kiss me Gohan whenever you like" she said as she gave him a peck on the lips.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, I hope you know that" Gohan said as he flashed a bigger smile.

"I hope you do" she said as he hugged her quickly then let her go.

"I'll be right back k?" He said as he gave her a quick wave then dashed out of his bedroom door.

Gohan quickly made his way down the stairs and through the hallways. He arrived at the kitchen and began rummaging through cupboards looking for crackers.

"What are you doing Gohan?" Chi Chi asked as she had seen her son go running down the hallway.

"Oh hi mom, I was looking for some crackers; Videl woke up and I'm sure she's going to fall asleep again soon but this way if she gets hungry she can at least get some food in her" Gohan said as he directed his attention towards his mother.

Chi Chi gave him a smile, "There in here Gohan" she said as she reached into an end cupboard and pulled them.

"Thanks mom" he said as he went and grabbed a cup and put a few ice cubes in it and poured water into it.

"How's she doing by the way? I thought Bulma said she should be up till tomorrow afternoon" Chi Chi said as she leaned against the counter.

"Yea I was surprised to see her awake too; I came out of the shower and she was sitting on my bed. Her fever feels like it's almost gone. I'm pretty sure she's going to fall asleep again soon but she said she wanted company so we're going to watch a movie in my room, then when she falls asleep I'll put her back in her room" He said as he picked up the cup of water and grabbed the sleeve of crackers.

"You're so good to her" Chi Chi said as she smiled at her son "take good care of her Gohan, we'll be down here if you need anything" she said as she gave him a small wave then walked out of the room.

"Thanks mom" Gohan said as he gave her a smile then followed her suit and left the kitchen and headed back up to his bedroom.

Chi Chi walked into the living room to see Goku stretched out on one of the couches. She walked over to the couch and sat down and curled up beside Goku and hugged his waist.

"What was that for?" Goku asked with a smile as he wrapped his arm around his petite wife.

"Everything is so wonderful now, it's just a nice changed; you're here with me, the family is back together and our son is in love" She said as she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth her husband had to offer.

"It is nice" Goku said, knowing there still were things that needed to be fixed, especially with Videl.

"I give them a year before they're married" She said as she starred up into the ceiling. "Sweetie, is it a saiyan thing; where they fall in love and that's who they are meant to be with" Chi Chi asked as she sat up a little to look at Goku.

"You know I'm actually not sure, Vegeta would know. I can only assume, I mean you're the only female I've ever gotten close with and we got married, Bulma was the only woman who's ever gotten close to Vegeta and now they're married…so I can only assume it's a saiyan thing. Haha but let's not tell them or start planning their wedding yet alright? Lets it be a surprise to them" Goku said as he held Chi Chi close and relaxed a little more on the couch.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

Gohan walked into his bedroom and saw that Videl had set up the TV for the two of them. He also noticed that she had grabbed one of his sweatshirts and was wearing it as she lay in the middle of his bed.

"Don't you look cozy" Gohan said with a laugh drawing Videls attention to him.

Videl offered Gohan a smile, "took you long enough" she said as she moved back onto his bed and pushed the covers back for the two of them.

"I brought you some crackers just in case you got hungry and here's your water" Gohan said as he handed them both to Videl.

Videl gave him a smile "Thanks Gohan" she said as she took a large drink from the glass of water.

Gohan then went and turned off the lights, but left the lamp on the night stand on then crawled into his bed. "So what movie did you pick?"

"Forrest Gump; I've never seen the whole movie. Is that alright with you?" She asked, knowing full and well he wouldn't.

"Sounds good to me; but do you think you'll be able to get through it all, I mean it's already quarter to ten now" he said as he put Videl's cup on his night stand.

"Probably not" she said as she covered a small yawn. "Are you sure you don't mind me being here…I could go back to my room and watch it instead" she said as she averted her gaze.

"Not in the slightest do I mind, when you fall asleep I'll just put you back into your room and let you sleep off the rest of that medication" He said as he pressed play on the remote and adjusted the volume.

Videl offered him a smile and then rested in the bed as Gohan turned off the light so they could watch the movie.

'Man, I don't know why I'm so tired" Videl thought to herself as she could feel her eyes growing heavy within minutes. She looked over at Gohan and watched as he was already absorbed in the movie.

'I want to curl up with him so badly' she thought to herself as she felt a blush creep on her cheeks. 'Maybe I'll just scoot a little closer' Videl then moved herself a little closer towards Gohan.

As if Gohan could instinctively tell what she wanted, he pulled her in closer earning a smile from Videl.

"Gohan… I really like you" she said as she watched Gohan turn away from the movie and give her a smile.

"I really like you too Videl" He said as he held her close to his body, allowing her to absorb his warmth.

They laid in silence for a while, as Videl grew sleepier, her mind still continued to movie quickly.

'I can't help feeling self conscious around Gohan… he told me how the others felt about my appearance, but he never told me how he felt. Ok well that's not true, he told me I was beautiful…I wonder if he thinks I'm too skinny' she thought to herself as she felt her body starting to give way to sleep.

"Gohan can I ask you a question?" she asked in a tired voice, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"Sure thing, what would you like to ask V?" He said as his eyes were still on the TV screen.

"I don't like bringing this up…but I was kinda curious… you said everyone thought I was getting too skinny; do you think I'm too skinny?" she asked, the question almost muffled as it was spoken into Gohans chest.

Gohan paused for a minute to think of the best way to phrase his answer, "I think that you've let a horrible person get into your head and convince you to believe things that aren't true at all. I've definitely noticed that you've lost a fair amount of weight for someone of your bone structure and it does worry me. Truth be told, I do feel as though it had started to go a little far; not that I'm blaming you or trying to guilt you or anything. But I would definitely say you're on the smaller size and if you continue to get smaller I believe you'll be bonier" he said, really truly hoping he didn't offend her.

"I'll try to keep an eye on it" she mumbled into his chest.

"Videl, please know that I don't love you for your physical appearance; don't get me wrong that's a bonus but it's your personality and your passion" he said, then stopped in the middle of his sentence and blushed realizing what he had just said.

"You're gorgeous for the record" she mumbled as she was almost completely gone into a world of sleep.

"V, get some sleep, we've got a party coming up in two days!" he said then mentally slapped himself and rolled his eyes, 'what did that have anything to do with the conversation...smooth, real smooth' he thought to himself.

'I can't believe I said that, and I said I loved her…man I hope I don't freak her out. Maybe I'll get lucky and she won't have taken notice' he thought to himself as he heard Videls breathing even out, knowing she had just fallen asleep.

Gohan smiled to himself then held Videl a little closer to him. He looked at the clock at saw that it was almost ten thirty already. He laughed to himself at how quickly Videl had fallen asleep then relaxed against the pillow and continued to watch how Forrest Gump explained how mama always said life was like a box of chocolates, but little did he know, he too was slowly drifting off to sleep.

Gohan stirred a little as he heard a small noise in the background. He opened his eyes a little only to be greeted by total darkness. The TV was turned off, obviously the sensor turned if off when nothing was done after the movie. He turned to look at the clock, '3:45?' he thought to himself as he heard his door being opened slowly.

Gohan closed his heavy eyes then felt a small hand grabbed his arm lightly and shake.

"Gohan?" A tired Goten whispered as he shook his brother's arm lightly to try and wake him up.

"Yea Goten?" Gohan whispered back as he opened his eyes slightly allowing them to adjust to the dark room.

"I had a really bad dream" Goten said, his voice clearly displaying he's been crying.

"What was it about?" Gohan asked, knowing that if he talked with Goten a bit he'd be able to wake up a little easier.

"I dreamed that this monster came and it killed you and mom and dad and Videl. Then when we tried to wish you guys all back you said you didn't want to come back because you were really mad that I wasn't able to save you and said you never wanted me back in your life. Then the monster came back and started attacking me and just as he was about to finish me off I woke up" Goten said as his eyes started getting watery at the thought of his family hating him for not being strong enough.

"Come here squirt" Gohan said as he shifted over a little so Videl could still curl up to him but Goten could hop up as well. Goten then slowly crawled into bed and Gohan gave him a hug to try and make him feel better and he felt his younger brother start to cry a little.

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?" Goten asked in a sad, scared voice.

"Sure squirt" Gohan said. Gohan knew that Goten had always looked up to him and thought of him as a sort of father figure, even with Goku back. He couldn't blame him though, he went 6 years of his life without a father so Gohan taught him so much, it's no wonder that the two brothers were s close; when Goten was scared, and Gohan was there for him.

"Is Videl in here too Gohan?" Goten asked as he crawled into bed with Gohan.

"Yea, she was having trouble sleeping too" Gohan said, not really feeling like explaining the situation to his little brother at four in the morning.

"Oh I see… night Gohan, and thanks" Goten said as he curled up in Gohans bed.

"No problem squirt and sweet dreams" Gohan said as he relaxed in his bed and closed his eyes, having both Goten and Videl curled up on his sides. Then with that the two brothers drifted off to sleep.

**Authors note: Sorry I hope it's been somewhat clear as to the dates in the story. It's now December 30th, so the day before New Year's Eve; k? Back to the story!!**

Chi Chi ran back into her bedroom as Goku was slipping on his pants. "Goku, Goten is gone!" she said with worry in her voice.

Goku dropped the pants in surprise as Chi Chi came barging in his room and stood there in his boxers. "Come on Chi, I'm sure he's in the house, I mean, where else would he go?" he asked as he walked towards her to try and calm her down.

"Even if he did go somewhere, little guy is a saiyan, he's stronger then he gets credit for" He said with a laugh earning a glare from Chi Chi.

"Look, before you get all worried, we'll check Gohans room, maybe he had a bad dream and went to him? He always does" he said as he rubbed her shoulders to calm her down. "Come on, let's go check" he said as he grabbed Chi Chi's hand and let her down the hallways, walking comfortably around in his boxers.

Aaliyah walked out her door and blushed as Goku was right in front of her bedroom in his boxers. "Good…morning" she stammered out as she blushed at the attractive Goku.

"Morning Aaliyah, how'd you sleep?" He asked making small talk with her as Chi Chi stood there with a worried look on her face.

"I slept well thanks…Chi Chi are you alright, you look stressed?" She asked with concern for her.

"I can't find my baby" Chi Chi replied with worry. She knew perfectly well that he could take care of himself if need be, but she still worried; he was only seven after all and was her youngest son.

"I'm sure he's around" she said with a reassuring smile to try and rest her ease.

"I'm sure he is too, I think he'll be in Gohan's room or Trunk's room" Goku said as he rubbed his wife's shoulder trying to get her relax.

"I don't mean to sound like I'm not concerned…but could any of you tell me how to get to the kitchen?" Aaliyah asked as she blushed a little, having no idea where to go.

"Sure, we'll be heading down there soon anyways so you can just tag along with us" Goku said as he flashed a smile then motioned for her to follow him and Chi Chi.

The three of them walked in silence for a few minutes as they reached Gohans door. Goku knocked on it gently then pressed his ear to the door and heard light snoring. He slowly opened the door and saw light cascading in through the windows onto Gohans bed, and then smiled at the sight he saw.

He poked his head back out and gave a smile, "You're both going to want to see this" he whispered as he opened the door up all the way and stepped aside so he could let the two women see.

Laying in the middle of the bed was Gohan with Videl curled up to his right side, and Goten curled up against him on his left side.

The two women looked inside the lavish bedroom and smiled as they hearts melted.

"Goku, go grab a camera quickly!" Chi Chi said as she beamed at how cute the site was. Goku smiled as he ran off then came back a few moments later, "here you go hun" he said as he handed his wife the digital camera.

"Goku, can you help me here?" she whispered as she stood in the middle at the end of the bed. "Can you float over them with me so I can take a few pictures?" she asked as she grinned.

Goku simply complied as he wrapped his arms around his wife then floated in the air until he was horizontal to the bed and parallel to the three sleeping kids. Chi Chi snapped about five pictures then nodded to Goku and he brought them back to the floor.

All three of them left the room quietly and looked and a very surprised Aaliyah, "If I hadn't seen that myself, I wouldn't have believed it was possible…" she said as she trailed off still stunned at the sight she just saw.

"Awh hun you're just unused to it, trust me I know, it takes adjusting to" she said as she rubbed the stunned woman's shoulder.

"I think I'd like to hear the full explanation of this at some point again…" she said still in her stunned stupor as Chi Chi smiled and led her in the direction of the kitchen as Goku followed along, forgetting about putting pants on.

The three adults walked into the kitchen to see 18 and Bulma working on breakfast already. "Good morning you three" Bulma said as she smiled as they all walked into the kitchen.

"Goku, I was wondering if I could ask a favour of you, as well as your sons" Bulma said as she pushed around some eggs in a pan.

"Sure thing Bulma, what is it?" He asked as he looked around the kitchen to see what was going to be served.

"Can you guys decorate the ballroom today? The party is tomorrow night and I figure if we can get the decorations done tonight then everything will go smoothly; of course Trunks, Vegeta and I'm sure others will help as well" she said as she eyed her husband who was sitting across the room with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Sure thing Bulma" Goku said with a smile.

"Oh, by the way ladies, 18 finished the final touches on Videls dress last night, and now that we've got the accessories, all we've got to do is pick out a hair style and she's going to shock everyone!" Bulma said in a slightly giddy voice.

"The dress looks great, just needed a few extra stitches" 18 said with a monotone voice as she pulled out a needle to emphasize her point with a smile.

"AHHHHHHH!!!" Goku screamed at the top of his lungs as he darted to the other side of the room.

Everyone in the room had a stunned look on their face at the ridiculously loud scream that just emitted from Goku's mouth.

"G-get that needle away from me!" he said as he peered in the room from the corner from behind a door.

18's eyes were wide in surprise at what had just happened.

"You're afraid…of a needle?" Aaliyah asked as she too was stunned for the second time that morning.

Chi Chi smacked her head then shook it lightly, "Goku, you have no problem jumping in to save the world and getting yourself killed in a painful manor…and you're afraid of a little needle…my husband…what a character" she said as she laughed lightly at the full grown man who had been a hero for the world many times, hiding behind a door from a small needle.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "Kakarot…you're an idiot" he said as e smirked, finding humour at what Chi Chi had just said.

"Well, I guess we better hurry up with breakfast, if the people in the house weren't up before, I'm sure they're up now" Bulma said as she laughed at the now blushing Goku.

Gohan and Goten shot up in bed as they heard a loud scream. "What was that Gohan?" a tired little Goten asked his equally tired big brother.

"I have no idea Goten" Gohan said as he rubbed his eyes to get rid of the sleep.

"Whatever it was sure was loud…I'm up now" Gohan said as he lightly moved his arm from around Videl and sat up in his bed.

"Yea…me too" Goten said as he sat up and rubbed his eyes as well.

Gohan looked over at Videl and nudged her lightly, but she didn't even stir. 'I guess she's just going to sleep off the medication now. Maybe Bulma was right and she'll be up this afternoon' Gohan thought to himself as Goten jumped off the bed and went into the bathroom. Gohan gave Videl a kiss on the cheek then stood up and stretched as he waited for his little brother to leave the bathroom.

The two boys exited Gohans bedroom quietly and shut the door behind them just as quietly as to not disturb Videl then headed towards that kitchen.

The two boys walked into the kitchen to see most of the adults already in there.

Chi Chi noticed the two still half asleep boys out of the corner of her eyes and gave them a sweet smile, "Good morning boys, you're up early…usually we're waking you up or you've woken up at least another hour and a half from now" she said in a surprised tone of voice.

"Something really loud woke us up" Goten said as he moved towards Goku who then lifted him up and sat him on his lap.

"Yea, it almost sounded like someone screamed, but there was nothing after that so I figured I must have imagined it" Gohan said as he covered a yawn and scratched his stomach.

"Yea…you must have imagined it, cuz we heard nothing down here!" Goku said as a blush crept up on his cheeks, causing Chi Chi to roll her eyes.

"Your father screamed when I pulled out a needle" 18 said in a voice that held amusement at remembering the brave warrior scream at her tiny needle.

"Oh 18, you're a jokester you are" Goku said as his two sons stared him town causing his blush to get deeper.

"Wow…" was all Gohan could say as he poorly attempted to hold back his laughter but eventually gave in and shared a laugh with the other adults at his blushing father.

"Hey Gohan, Bulma wants to know if we can decorate the ballroom today" Goku said in an attempt to change the subject.

"Sure" Gohan said as he wiped a tear away from his eye from laughing.

"Can I help too daddy?" Goten asked from his perch on Goku's lap.

"Of course buddy, the more the merrier" Goku said as he rubbed Goten's hair

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

"Those people protecting Videl must be some kind of freaks, that pointy haired dude freaked the hell out of me" Hercule said as he paced his living room.

"I can't understand why they won't give that sorry excuse of a being back to me…ohh that girl is dead when I'm through with her" He said s he threw a wine glass against the wall.

"I've gotta think of a way to teach her the ultimate lesson…" he said out loud as he rubbed his stubbled chin. His eyes went wide as an idea hit him then narrowed in anger and let a smirk creep to his cheeks.

He walked over to a large china hutch and opened a drawer and let his smirk widened as he stared at the contents of the drawer.

"Oh yes…this will do nicely." He said as his smirk grew once again, "I almost forgot this baby was here…I'm going to teach that bitch a lesson and teach those freaks to never mess with The Great Hercule" then allowed himself to emit an almost evil sounding laugh.

"All I've got to do now is find a way in there…" He said once again out loud as he shut the drawer on the china hutch and went to go look at the pictures he had taken of the Briefs house to try a figure out rooms he should scout for sneaking in.

~*~ Later on~*~

"Chi Chi I don't know how on earth you do it but every meal you make is better than the last" Yamcha said as he rubbed his now full stomach and watched the saiyans continue to stuff their faces.

Aaliyah turned to Bulma as she too had finished her breakfast, "Would you guys mind if I did Videl's hair for the New Year celebration tomorrow night?" Aaliyah asked in a shy voice.

"Of course; are you good with designing hair?" Bulma asked as she tried to amuse herself from the saiyan men devouring food.

"When Videl was a figure skater I used to do her hair all the time. I was thinking we could-"Aaliyah was cut short by Bulma putting her hand over her mouth. Bulma had noticed Gohan was now starting to listen in on the conversation and wanted it to be a surprise for Gohan.

Gohan raised an eyebrow as he stared at the two women, "What idea did you have for Videl's hair Aaliyah?" Gohan asked, he was more than curious to know what these women had cooked up for his girlfriend, and was even more curious to see how she'd look in it.

"Sorry Gohan, you're just going to have to wait till tomorrow night; then we'll reveal your gorgeous girlfriend!" Bulma said with stars in her eyes as she imagined just how beautiful Videl will look in their creation.

"Videl already is gorgeous" Gohan said quietly.

"That's too sweet!" Chi Chi said as she watched her son now go red in the face.

"I'll start clearing the dishes and loading them into the dish washer for you, mom" Gohan said as he grabbed a load of dishes and hurried out of the room.

~*~ Meanwhile~*~

Videl could feel her heart beating faster and faster as her dream progressed.

She was continually running as she tried to escape the man who was chasing her; she heard him gaining on her quickly. She then tripped over something and when she stood up she was in the middle of a dark stage. Bright lights then suddenly appeared on the stage causing Videl to squint a little; as she squinted she heard a loud boom, she heard a loud gun shot.

As the shot was about to hit her something blocked it then another flash of light blinded Videl. Videl opened her eyes and she was in a blindingly white room. 'It's like that dream I had before' she thought to herself as she allowed her eyes to adjust to the bright lights.

As she opened her eyes she saw a figure standing in front of her. Once she opened her eyes all the way she say that it was herself, only an older version; the same woman she had seen married to Gohan.

"Trouble is ahead" the older Videl said as she stared at her younger self.

"What do you mean?" Videl asked herself, 'man this is weird' she thought to herself.

"Just trust me, be careful" her older self said as she faded off into the background.

"Trust the one you love…" She yelled as she trailed off into the white light. With a sudden jolt Videl felt herself wake up and her eyes snap open.

'Where am I?' she thought to herself as she looked around the bedroom then realized she was in Gohans room, 'I guess he didn't move me back to my room' she thought to herself as she sat up in the bed and stretched. As she rubbed her eyes she looked over at the clock and was a little surprised.

"It's quarter to two in the afternoon!" she said out loud as she wasn't even able to remember the last time she had slept in past nine in the morning. "I may as well get up now" she said as she got out of the warm cozy bed then went into her bedroom to get ready for the day.

Videl walked out of her room once she had done her usual routine then wondered down the hallways. As she walked through the hallways she noticed Trunks' camera sitting on a marble side table against the wall. 'I wonder why he left it here?' she thought to herself as she picked it up and brought it with her so she could give it to him.

As she continued to wonder the hallways she heard a loud booming in the background, 'what's that?' she thought to herself as she followed the sound. The closer she got to the booming the clearer the sounds became; someone was playing music very loudly.

She reached a large set of French doors; she realized the music was clearly coming from behind the doors so she opened them slowly allowing her curiosity to get the better of her. Inside she saw most of the Son family decoration a large ball room as well as various other people like Krillin, Yamcha, Piccolo, Trunks and even Tien was getting involved.

"Hey Goten turn it up, I love this son!" Goku yelled as his son cranked the music up even louder.

Goku cleared his throat as piano music started to play then sang along with the music, "At first I was afraid, I was petrified" Then Krillin piped as well "Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side" and then the two man sang along together, "then I spent so many nights, thinking how you did me wrong and I grew strong and I learned how to carry on"

Krillin kept on singing while Goku yelled at Gohan "Come on, join us!"

Gohan grinned as he joined, "Go on now go, walk out the door, and just turn around now 'cause you're not welcome anymore. Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye, did you think I'd crumble? Did you think I'd lay down and die oh no not I!" He sang as the other men joined in for the chorus.

Videl watched from the doors and bit her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud. Thankfully she was a quick thinker and turned on Trunk's camera just as they had started singing so she managed to catch the men singing; even Goten and Trunks had joined in for the chorus.

She watched as all the men, excluding Vegeta and Piccolo sing to 'I will survive'. She stood there quietly as she recorded them sing the whole song each of them doing their own little dance. As the song ended Videl let a big grin come on her face as she started to clap allowing herself to be noticed.

All the men looked surprised and looked over then all blushed as Videl clapped with the camera in her hands.

Goku moved quickly to turn off the music and came back; all the men who had been singing and doing their own little attempt at disco were not blushing.

"How long have you been standing there?" Krillin asked wanted to know how much he's just destroyed his dignity with regards to the young teen.

Videl grinned, "I came in just as Goku yelled for Goten to turn up the music because he loved this song, so I figured this was going to be good." Then finally allowed herself to finally laugh out loud.

Chi Chi let out a laugh, "I'm so glad you managed to get that on tape, I was just thinking of how this would be hilarious to watch a few years from now"

"Oh I promise you Chi Chi, I got it all right here on this baby" Videl said as she patted the video recorder.

"Hey, that's mine!" Trunks said as he tried to take the camera away so she wouldn't be able to keep the recording.

"I know it's yours, that's why I brought it I found it in the hallway on some random table" Videl said as she dodged Trunks as he tried to take the camera from her. Videl ran and his behind Gohan and stuck her tongue out and Trunks.

"Gohan get her!" trunks yelled as his blush was still lingering on his cheeks.

Gohan grabbed Videl in his arms and held her high in the air. However, if Videl had learned anything from the Son boys, it was the puppy face. She made her best attempt at a puppy face and it worked perfectly. Gohans face softened as he gave her a smile and set her down gently, "I guess I now have an idea of what dad, Goten and I have been doing to people for years" Gohan said with a little laugh as he scratched his head.

Videl gave him a smile, which then turned to a grin, "Gohan, I didn't know you and your dad were such disco fans" she said earning a darker blush from Gohan and Goku, "and my, what dancers you guys are".

"I'll have you know, that song is inspiring too all human kind" Goku said with a laugh at his pathetic attempt to defend himself.

Bulma interrupted them, "Videl, would you mind if we borrowed you for a minute? We'd like it if you could try on your dress for tomorrow so we can do any last minute alterations if need be" She said as Videl nodded her head and waved goodbye to everyone that was in the room as she followed Bulma, her mother, 18 and Chi Chi out of the room.

Videl followed them through twists and turns in the hallways then they stopped in front of a closed door. Aaliyah grinned, "We don't want you to see the dress yet so we're going to put this blind fold on you alright?"

"How am I supposed to get dressed them?" Videl asked, the women paused for a minute then 18 spoke up.

"Put the bathing suit back on then we'll put the dress on you and blindfold you" She said as Chi Chi nodded.

"Ok…"Videl said quietly as she was led into a room then pushed into a smaller room so she could slip a bathing suit on.

Videl opened the door and had her back to the women, "Do you want to put the blindfold on now?" Videl asked as one of the women came up and tied a thick black blindfold over her eyes.

Chi Chi led Videl into the middle of the room slowly so she wouldn't trip, "Can you put your arms up sweetie?" Chi Chi asked as Videl complied.

Videl could feel the dress being slipped over her head and the women making sure it slid down her body properly, then she could feel a zipper being done up against her back. The blind fold made it really difficult to figure out what the dress looked like that Videl was wearing, all she knew was it felt silky.

"Hun, can you put these heels on?' Aaliyah asked as Videl nodded and lifted up one foot and felt the shoe being slipped on, and then offered the other foot, feeling herself being raised a few inches.

The women took a step back and studied the teen in their dress they created, "Videl, you look so amazing!" Bulma said as she hugged 18, proud at what they had created.

"How high are these heels?" Videl asked, as she felt high up in the air.

"Four inches" 18 said as she smiled, proud of her stitch work.

"Oh Videl, you look so gorgeous" Chi Chi said as she gave the teen a hug knocking her a little off balance.

"I can wait to get your hair and makeup done for tomorrow night…Gohan won't be able to resist you…or at least your legs. My god you have fantastic legs" Bulma said causing the teen to blush.

"Does anything feel tight or uncomfortable?" Aaliyah asked, beaming with pride at how beautiful her daughter is.

"No, everything feels comfortable" Videl said

"Excellent; well hun, we'll take it off then you're free to do as you please for the rest of the day. I figure we'll start getting you ready at about 6 at night, so it's right after dinner and we usually start the party at eight or nine-ish" Bulma said

"Works for me" Videl said as she held her arms up and let the women take the dress off of her again and then slipped out of the high heel shoes once 18 had offered a hand to help her stay balanced.

Videl then walked into the small room again and changed back into her clothes and then once again covered her eyes as the women led her out of the room and locked it behind them.

"Come on girls, let's get started on lunch" Chi Chi said as they all left towards the kitchen.

Videl finally located the living room and saw Gohan lying on the couch watching Family Guy.

Videl smiled as she sat beside him, "hello" she said as she was greeted back with a smile.

"Hey, how'd the dress fitting go?" Gohan asked as he moved over and motioned for Videl to sit down beside him.

"Meh, it went well I guess. I had to wear a blindfold so I really didn't see it at all; I couldn't even figure out if it was long or short." Videl said as she pulled her knees up to her chest and relaxed on the couch.

"So you know nothing about it?" Gohan asked.

"Well, I know it's form fitting, and I can only assume I have some leg showing. Oh and I know I'm wearing high heels, couple inches; I felt like I was 5 inches off the ground" She said as she tried to think back to what she imagined the dress might look like.

"Why do you assume that parts of your legs are showing?" He asked again very curious to know how his girlfriend would look tomorrow.

"Ha, they told me I had fabulous legs" She said with a laugh as Gohan grinned.

"I'd believe that" he said causing Videl to blush, "How'd you get the dress on if you were blindfolded?" Gohan asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"They had me put a two piece on" She said and blushed as she noticed Gohan had grinned.

"Lunch's ready guys" Goku said as he poked his head into the living room, "I'm kinda hungry s if you could hurry up, I'd appreciate it" Goku said with his traditional smile.

"Goku you're always hungry" Videl said with a laugh, then laughed louder as Gohans stomach growled loudly.

Gohan let a blush creep up on his cheeks, "guess I'm a little hungry too" he said as he smiled and scratched the back of his head.

Lunch went off without a hitch; everyone talked about how excited they were for the big party for tomorrow night and the women teased Gohan by talked about how beautiful Videl was going to look at the party. Afterwards everyone talked about how good the food was and made small talk.

"Does anyone want to go swimming?" Gohan asked

"Gohan that's a great idea" Goten said getting excited, it had been awhile since he'd gone swimming.

"I'm in" Goku said as he looked to Vegeta, "Are you going to come swimming?" He asked as Vegeta glared at him.

"Why would I want to go swimming with you Kakarot?" He spat out and sent the grinning Goku another glare.

"I bet I can swim faster than you" Goku grinned, knowing Vegeta couldn't resist a challenge.

"You wish Kakarot, you're on" Vegeta said as he crossed his arms and smirked in self satisfaction.

"I wouldn't mind going in the hot tub" Chi Chi said as she rubbed her back; cooking that much food can make your backache every now and then.

"Vide, l will you come swimming?" Goten asked giving her the puppy eyes; Gohan grinned knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to resist that look.

"I did just eat…" Videl said, suddenly feeling shy about her body.

"Videl no more excuses, swimming is a good exercise" Aaliyah said and gave her daughter a smile, trying to relax her.

"Ok…I'll think about it" Videl said as she excused herself and walked out of the room. As Videl walked out of the room a few moments later Gohan left and chased after her.

"Hey, how come you don't want to go swimming V?" Gohan asked as he grabbed her hand and stopped her from walking further.

Videl rubbed her opposite arm with her free hand, "I don't know if I feel so comfortable wearing a bathing suit in front of everyone" She said as she averted her gaze from Gohans compassionate eyes.

"V, remember how yesterday you said that you were going to try and feel more comfortable with yourself, well this is the perfect opportunity" Gohan said as h lightly squeezed Videls hand and gave her a smile, "Beside, I'm sure I'll be the one mainly checking you out, and you know I have absolutely no problem with any part of you" Gohan said with a big grin as Videl blushed a little.

Videl smiled a little, "I will try" she said as Gohan gave her a hug.

"Come on, let's go get changed" he said as he pulled her towards their rooms.

Both went into their rooms and changed into their bathing suits and came out a few minutes later.

When Videl opened her bedroom door and saw Gohan leaning against the wall in shorts with a towel hanging over his muscular shoulder. Gohan looked over as Videl walked out of her bedroom with a towel wrapped tightly around her body. All you could see on Videl was two thin straps that looped around her neck, and her thin legs under the towel.

"Can I see?" Gohan asked as he blushed a little at the thought of his girlfriend in a two piece.

Videl gave him a little wink then blushed, "I'll let you see when we reach the pool" She said as she quickly put her just below shoulder length hair into a high bun then reached out to hold Gohans hand.

"Lead the way Romeo" she said with a smile as he happily held her hand and they walked in a comfortable silence to the pool room.

Gohan opened the large doors to the pool room and motioned for Videl to go, "ladies first" he said with a smile. Videl returned the smile and walked in, she marvelled at the sight in front of her.

There was a large pool, bigger then hers, with fancy marble tiles on the bottom then off to the side there was a large hot tub. The pool had everything; Tarzan ropes, slides and even multiple level diving boards.

Videl blushed a little as she realized that almost everyone was in the pool room, minus a few who went off to train or do their own thing.

"Hey Gohan, Videl, jump in the waters great" Goku yelled as he swung on the Tarzan rope and landed in the pool with a big splash.

Gohan looked down at Videl as she gripped her towel tightly to secure it against her. "Are you going to come in?" Gohan asked as he threw his towel down onto an empty chair.

"I think I may go back-" Videl was cut off as Videl grabbed her hands.

"V, I'm going to ask you nicely…then I'm going to throw you in; please come swimming" Gohan asked in a playful voice

Videl heaved a sigh then loosened her towel then threw it on the chair beside Gohans.

She put her hands on her hips as she noticed Gohan staring, Gohan then proceeded to blush deeply.

"Gohan, do you have a sunburn or are you blushing?" Goku yelled as he swam closer to the two.

Gohan's blush went a deeper red as his father made that comment.

Vegeta was beside Goku as he teased his son for checking out his girlfriend publically.

"She needs to gain weight" Vegeta said bluntly drawing the attention of Goku, Gohan and Videl.

"Vegeta, shut up" Gohan spat out as Videl started to get shy again.

"I'm being honest, I can see her ribs. She's clearly got an athletic body type and has a lot of lean muscle, but she's losing it by losing more weight; go eat a burger or something" Vegeta said as Goku slapped his head at the older saiyan.

"Vegeta I swear, you're a mystery wrapped in an enigma….and I bed I can beat you to the other end of the pool and GO!" Goku yelled as he quickly swam away.

Vegeta grunted and glared at Goku, "Kakarot that's not fair, you cheated" he said as he swam after him.

"That…was interesting" Gohan said as he raised an eyebrow in slight confusion and scratched the back of his head. He looked over at Videl who seemed lost in thought.

"For the record V, you make me drool" Gohan said as Videl laughed at him. "Come on, let's go in" Gohan said as he lightly grabbed her hand and walked towards the pool.

A drunk Master Roshi was stumbling around the pool as he enjoyed his glass of beer. "Well hello lips, legs, breasts and ass" He said as his nose started to bleed a little at the sight of Videl in her bikini.

"How bout you and me kick those hens out of the hot tub and we go talk" He said as he raised his eyebrows quickly at Videl.

Gohan looked angrily at the old man but Videl turned and flashed him a smirk and gave him a wink. She then let go of Gohans hand and focused her eyes on Master Roshi. She pouted her lips out a little and bent forward and took her hair out of the bun and flipped it back while making a seductive face. Gohan raised an eyebrow and blushed at how attractive she was making herself look.

Videl then turned sideways a little and bent over and stuck her bum out a bit and looked backwards at the old man. Just as she did that she saw his hand come flying towards her bum, which she then proceeded to quickly turn around and grab the old man's hand before he managed to smack her butt and flipped him into the pool.

"Pervert" she muttered as everyone who had witnessed the scene started laughing as she walked over to the shallow end of the pool and stepped down a few steps.

Gohan was left in a stunned state; Yamcha came up and smacked Gohan on the shoulder and spoke.

"I gotta admit Gohan; I think it's great that you two got together and I couldn't be happier but my god…that was hot…I didn't know she had it in her" Yamcha said as he watched the teen saiyan blush a little more.

"I had no idea either…" Gohan said as he trailed off then jumped into the pool with a big splash.

Other than that little event swimming was rather uneventful. Vegeta and Goku had swimming races and always tied, there was a large group playing of Marco Polo, and everyone made conversation.

Gohan went and sat in the hot tub where his mother, Bulma and Aaliyah were also relaxing. He closed his eyes as felt the hot water hit his skin then heaved a sigh of relaxation.

"She really is tiny" Chi Chi said in a worried tone of voice.

Gohan opened an eye as he listened to his mom as she stared at his girlfriend while she played with Goten.

"At least she's not at the point where she's too thin, she's still got some muscle on her" Bulma said as she also stared at Videl.

"You are talking about Videl right?" Gohan asked as the three women looked at him.

"Gohan, I do believe you will help her, and I can see you clearly care about her. I'm so happy that you caught her at this point…she is getting pretty thin" Aaliyah said with a concerned look.

"I just hope she listens…" Gohan said as he trailed off and stared out at Videl who in turn looked back at him and gave him a big smile and waved, which he returned.

"Gohan, if you don't mind my asking…how did you convince her to think differently?" Aaliyah asked, she was more than curious to know how this young managed such a feat.

"I had set up a dinner for the two of us out in the mountains, I took her out there and asked her what her father had said to her the night she came into my room in the wet shirt and bathing suit. She said how Hercule called her fat ass and insulted you saying he was the only reason you found love. She said how he made her go swimming for a few hours and called her fat and ugly a few more times. I asked her why she believed it and she said since it was coming from someone who was supposed to care about her, it must be true." He said as he cast a sad look towards his girlfriend.

"What did you say to her after that sweetie?" Chi Chi asked with curiosity.

"I told her I had no idea why he would say something like that. I told her how no one should make her feel that horrible about herself and told her how even Vegeta was worried about him, so it must be serious. I told her I was worried about her and you, Aaliyah, were as well. Then I got her to repeat after me and had her say she was beautiful. She ate the meal I cooked because she didn't want to offend me. The next morning when she woke up she said she had a dream how she asked her dad if she was pretty and he said no and some little boy told her she was. She said if one person could make a difference in a dream then she believed I could make a difference if she just listened. So decided to try and make a change for the better" Gohan said as the three women smiled at him.

"That was very sweet of you Gohan" Chi Chi said as she came over and gave her son a big hug.

"Gohan, I can't begin to thank you enough. I can tell she does still have problems with herself, but she is clearly trying to make a change. She wouldn't have walked into the pool room without a large shirt covering herself up" Aaliyah said as she too went over and gave a hug to Gohan as well.

"I'm happy to help her" Gohan said with a smile.

'I can't begin to attempt to extend my appreciation to your family for not only what you've done for me, but what you've done for my daughter" Aaliyah said as her eyes welled up a little.

"When Videl said she wanted to go back and spend the night with Hercule, I told her if anything happened to come back to you all; there's just such a close bond here and everyone seems so protective of each other" Aaliyah said as Bulma softened her gaze and gave her a smile.

"You and Videl are good people, and good people are hard to come by, we're happy to have you in our family" Bulma said with a smile as Chi Chi nodded in the background.

"You've known Videl for less than a year, and you all treat her as if she were your own blood; hell you've barely known me for a week and you treat me like we've been friends for ages. I really truly can't begin to express my appreciation for you all" Aaliyah said as a few stray tears fell down her cheeks.

"We all know Gohan and Videl are going to be together forever, and we knew they would start dating; Gohan is crazy about her so of course we welcomed her, she is practically family now…all we need is for Gohan to put a band on her finger" Chi Chi said as she eyed Gohan who was now blushing wildly and attempting to sneak out of the hot tub.

"Only Goku knew that Gohan was going to bring you back to life, but if it makes Videl happy and if you're not freaked out by everything you see then we're happy to have you be a part of our family as well. Let's face it, I'd much rather have you at Gohan and Videl's wedding then that oaf of a father of hers" Chi Chi said as she rolled her eyes at the thought of Hercule then gave Aaliyah a hug.

"I've got to admit…you have some strange things happen in this house…but oddly enough I can't help but feel so safe" Aaliyah said with a laugh as she remembered earlier this morning as she watched Goku and Chi Chi float over the kids who were asleep in bed.

"Aaliyah, if you ever feel unsafe, please tell us; I can promise Goku will look after you, or Gohan, or even Goten and Trunks, they may be small but they're definitely stronger than most humans. Even Vegeta will look after you, he's even been on the lookout for Videl just in case anything bad should happen" Bulma said, she didn't want to allude to the fact that Hercule knew Videl was there, but wanted to reassure Aaliyah if she encountered him, she'd have protection.

"Thank you" Aaliyah said with a warm smile to the two older women.

"Oh, on a completely random topic, what did you have in mind for Videl's hair Aaliyah?" Chi Chi asked changing the conversation to something more pleasant.

"Oh, I wanted to do it in an up do, like with loose ringlets" Aaliyah said with a smile

"Oh that sounds like a wonderful idea, she'd look absolutely gorgeous with her hair curled…come to think of it, I've only ever seen it down" Chi Chi said as she thought back.

"Better watch out Gohan" Bulma said in a joking tone, knowing well that the teen saiyan was now completely out of ear shot.

"I have a feeling tomorrow night is definitely going to be one to remember" Chi Chi said with a smile.

After everyone had had a good swim dinner was underway and while it was being cooked everyone else did something to occupy their time.

Videl walked into the kitchen and noticed the wives were hard at work cooking away, creating all sorts of delicious foods to be served. "Did you guys need help with anything?" Videl asked as she reached the kitchen counter.

"Actually sweetie I think we've got it covered, thanks though" Chi Chi said with a smile as she continued to stir batter.

"What kind of food will you guys have for the party tomorrow?" Videl asked with curiosity.

Bulma put down the pan and thought for a moment, "Well, I think most of it will probably be home cooked, of course there will be plenty of food, why do you ask?" she asked as she replied to the teens question.

"Well, I wanted to do something to help out…so I was going to ask if I could take care of the desserts. I promise I know some killer recipes and they'll taste great" Videl said catching the attention of 18.

"Do you know how to make cheesecake?" 18 asked, she had always had a secret love for cheese cake.

"I know how to make strawberry layered as well as Oreo" Videl said with a smile as the android smiled back at her.

"Dessert is all yours" 18 said, knowing the others would have no objections.

"Excellent, I'll get Gohan and we can go and get the ingredients now" Videl said, as she spoke Bulma wiped off her hands and went over to her purse.

"Here hun, take my credit card" she said as she handed the teen the card, "we all know it's going to be the saiyans devouring everything, so may as well may for it myself. Especially if you're going to make cheese cake" she said with a wink as Videl returned the smile.

"Thanks Bulma. I'll go get Gohan now, see if we can do this quickly" She said with a wave as she took off in search of her boyfriend.

'I don't think I'm ever going to get this place figured out' she thought to herself as she wandered the halls.

She caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eyes of Vegeta walking down an opposite hallway. She ran up at catch up with him and saw he was towelling off his forehead. Vegeta turned his head and stopped as he heard someone running behind him.

"Vegeta, do you know where Gohan is?' She asked in a shy voice, she felt stupid that she hadn't been able to figure this house out yet.

Vegeta nodded his head then narrowed his eyes, he held up a finger to motion for her to hold on one moment then went into a small room. He opened the door and saw a smile window open. The room was used for storage so there was no reason for a window to be open. He stepped forward in the room and reached and looked out the window. After a quick glance he saw no one so he closed the window and locked it tightly then left the room quietly.

"Is everything alright?" Videl asked with confusion in her voice as she had just witnessed Vegeta's display.

"It's fine" he muttered as he motioned for Videl to follow him as they once again ventured through the long hallways.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

"Holy crap! That was way too close for comfort" Hercule said as he pulled himself out of a snow covered bush.

"That pointy haired guy freaks the crap out he me" he mumbled as he stood up slowly and rubbed his butt as he had quickly exited the small storage room.

Hercule smiled to himself, 'I will find away to get that pathetic excuse of a daughter of mine' he thought angrily as he moved to check out another location.

~*~Meanwhile~*~

Vegeta led the way for Videl in silence he then stopped in front of a door and opened it up and motioned for Videl to walk in.

"They're in there" he said in a gruff voice as he drew the attention of Gohan and Goku.

Videl gave Vegeta a smile, "Thanks Vegeta, sorry to pull you away from where ever you were going" she said kindly as Vegeta simply nodded and walked out.

Videl raised an eyebrow, "Are you guys playing Video games?" she asked with a light laugh.

"We trained for a little while, and then got bored of it while Vegeta kept on training, so we both went our ways and had a shower and then came back and decided to play some video games." Goku said as he stuck his tongue out and kept pressing buttons.

"I'm beating my dad" Gohan said as he continued to press buttons on the x-box 360 controller.

"You wish you were beating me" Goku said as he pushed Gohan over in an attempt to screw him up.

"You guys are too cute" she said with a smile as both of them blushed.

"So what can we do for you Videl?" Goku asked as he paused the game.

"I was actually going to ask if Gohan wanted to come grocery shopping with me before dinner; I talked to them upstairs and they're going to let me be in charge of the desserts tomorrow night. But I mean if you're busy it's fine, I can go by myself" She said, she felt bad she was interrupting the father son gaming.

"Sure thing V" Gohan said as he stood up, Goku reached over and turned the game consul off.

"Gohan lost anyways, so you saved him the embarrassment" Goku said with a smile as Gohan pouted a little. "What were you planning on making for dessert Videl?" Goku asked as he stretched out after sitting for a long period of time.

"Well, 18 likes cheese cake so I was going to make strawberry layered as well as Oreo, then I was going to make a fruit cake, coffee cake, muffins, cupcakes, and some cookies" Videl said as she counted each dessert off on her fingers.

Goku smiled, "I look forward to when you're a permanent part of our family; those sound absolutely delicious" Goku laughed as he noticed both teens blushing at his previous comment. "You guys better get going or else dinner will be ready before you get home" he said as he slapped Gohan on the lack lightly and walked out of the room.

"So… would you mind going shopping with me?" She asked as she tried to suppress the blush that was on her cheeks.

"You got it; my dad's right, we better get going now. Do you have the list of everything you'll need?" He asked as he too blushed deeply. Videl simply nodded her head and Gohan led the way to the front door.

Once they reached the door, both teens put their boots on and zipped up their coats.  
"Oh hold on a sec V" Gohan said as he ran off, only to reappear minute later and grabbed keys off of the key holder.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I figured we'd look out of place if we flew there, and when you're cooking for saiyans you need lots of ingredients, so Bulma is letting us borrow her SUV" Gohan said as he opened the front door and smiled, "ladies first" he said as she returned his smile and they went off to the grocery store.

"Wow, it's really packed here" Gohan said as he pushed the very full grocery cart. Videl had tried to push the cart but Gohan insisted not wanting Videl to have to push such a heavy cart.

"I guess that's what you get when tomorrow is New Year 's Eve" She said as she put eighteen packages of milk chocolate chips into the cart. "We're almost done, I've just got to grab the cream cheese and fruits" she said as crossed chocolate chips off her lips and scanned over it.

"You were right, it is a good thing that we brought the car with us" she said as she stared in amazement at the almost completely full grocery cart.

"That's what you get when you shop for saiyans" Gohan said with a smile as they made their way through the angry crowds to get the cream cheese. They reached the fridge and Videl grabbed two dozen packages of cream cheese.

"It's probably a good idea to get some eggs too I suppose" she said as she started loading cartons of eggs into the jam packed cart. "Alright, let's get the fruit then we're done" she said with a smile as Gohan nodded and they once again made their way through the crowds.

As Gohan and Videl pulled into the driveway of Capsule Corp, they each grabbed a handful of grocery bags and brought them into the front hallway. "Here, you can go and bring them into the kitchen, I'll bring them in from the car" Gohan said as he noticed Videl had been cold outside.

"Alright, works for me" Videl said with a smile as she took her coat and boots off then started bringing bags into the kitchen.

"How'd grocery shopping go?" Chi Chi asked as she brought dishes into dining room.

"It was completely packed at the store…I've got to admit, I'm glad Bulma paid with her credit card, I definitely didn't expect the bill to be that much. But then again I've never gone shopping for saiyans before" Videl said as she dropped the bags onto the floor.

"Is it alright if I just load the groceries in here?" She asked as she brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face.

"I don't see why that would be a problem, it's only there for a few hours so it should be fine. Try and be quick, dinner is ready whenever you're ready" Chi Chi said with a smile as she brought more dishes into the dining room.

"Thanks Chi Chi; you guys go ahead and start without us, I'm sure Gohan will catch up soon enough" She said with a laugh; just as she said this Gohan walked into the kitchen bringing bags from the car.

"Hey mom, dinner smells delicious" Gohan said as he put the groceries down.

"It'll be ready and waiting for you guys when you're done here" She said once again then walked into the dining room to go and eat.

"We better hurry up" Gohan said, earning a smile from Videl.

"You can go ahead and eat without me if you want" Videl said as she started to make her way back to the front hallway.

"Nope, I'll wait for you. Besides, most of the bags are in the kitchen it's just a matter of putting them away now" he said as he grabbed the final few dozen bags and brought them into the kitchen as Videl walked in toe.

As they unloaded the groceries, they organized them into groups; everything that needed to go into the fridge, went into the fridge, everything for the cupboard went into another pile, etc. As they organized Goku walked into the kitchen.

"Wow, you guys really bought a lot of stuff" Goku said as he got himself a large water bottle from the fridge. "I can't wait to try everything tomorrow night" Goku said as he smiled at the thought of dessert.

Videl smiled, as she was about to speak they heard a loud knock at the door. "I wonder who that could be?" Videl thought out loud as she went to go answer the door only to have Goku stand in her way.

"You should put this stuff away, I'll go answer it" he said as he put his hands up and smiled. Deep down he had a bad feeling and didn't want her to be subjected to anything that could be avoided.

Goku walked out of the kitchen and answered the front door, just as he expected, Hercule was standing in the middle of the door.

"Look sir, I just watched my daughter walk into this house. May I please speak to her" Hercule said as he tried to keep his temper in check.

"I think you're mistaken, sorry, I have to be off" Goku said as he tried to shut the door only to have Hercule stick his foot in the way.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you think you're doing, but she's my god damn daughter and I demand you let me see it now" Hercule said as his temper was threatening to erupt.

"I've never known a man to call their daughter 'it'" Goku said as he narrowed his eyes, "I don't know what you are talking about and I'm going to have to ask you to kindly get off this property" Goku said as his protective nature kicked in.

"If you care about the welfare of your family and your safety I swear to god if you don't give her to me now I'll-" Hercule said as Goku caught him off.

"You'll what?" Goku said as his temper started to perk up and he took a step towards Hercule, "Don't you ever threaten the safety of my family, or I promise, you'll regret every uttering those words" he said as he took another step towards Hercule. Hercule got a little nervous as Goku's eyes narrowed in anger and as he backed up he fell down into the snow.

"Leave and don't ever come back" Goku said as he slammed the door shut and locked the door. 'Vegeta was right, he is getting ballsie' he thought to himself as he walked back into the kitchen to see Gohan and Videl looking at him.

"Who was that dad?" Gohan asked, he could feel his dad's energy rising slightly.

"Oh uh…Jemima's witnesses?" Goku said as Videl raised an eyebrow at him.

"Goku, Jemima is a pancake company…did you mean Jehovah's witnesses?" Videl ask as she laughed a little at the older saiyan.

"Sure…lets go, I'm starving" Goku said as he pulled on the hands of the two teens and pulled them into the dining room.

The rest of the night went off without a hitch; everyone ate their dinner in peace and all talked about how excited they were about tomorrow night's party. The night rolled on uneventfully, everyone did whatever they wanted throughout the night and eventually all made their way to bed. Gohan kissed Videl goodnight and they both went into their own rooms.(*Author's note: sorry, I couldn't think of anything to happen that night so I'm brushing through the night quickly k? Back to the story!*)

Gohan smiled to himself at the excitement of seeing Videl all dressed up tomorrow in her gown, but also couldn't wait until he got to taste her delicious baking tomorrow as well.

As everyone slept Goku walked up to Vegeta in the hallway and they both nodded to each other and walked down the hallway into a secluded room.

"He was at the front door again today; he was even threatening my family" Goku said as he thought back to the event that took place before he ate his dinner.

"I sensed him crawling into the house again. I didn't see him but I found a window open in a storage room" Vegeta said in a gruff voice.

"I've got a bad feeling about tomorrow night" Goku said as he leaned against the wall and stared out the window.

"I know" Vegeta simply stated.

"We'll just have to keep a close eye on her tomorrow and make sure she's safe. I think he's ready to get violent" Goku said, he had such a soft spot for Videl; she's like the daughter he's always wanted.

"He's no match for us, or your son. She could even take him out if she really wanted to" Vegeta said, playing down the threat of Hercule.

"I know he's no threat to us, but there's many ways to hurt a human without using physical strength. We'll just keep a tight eye on her tomorrow alright? We'll be going back to our place soon enough and there's no way he'll be able to find her out there" Goku said with a yawn as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"Alright, I'll make sure to check on her throughout the day to make sure she's safe" Vegeta said as he made his way to the door.

"Thanks Vegeta" Goku said as he smiled, he knew deep down Vegeta was a good guy and had a big soft spot for Videl.

Vegeta let out a grunt then walked off. Gohan followed his lead and made his way to his bedroom to sleep.

Well that's chapter 11! I hope you enjoyed it and just in case you were curious I am indeed working on chapter 12 as you're reading this. I had my tonsils out this past Wednesday so I can't do anything so I'm going to write while I still have a load of ideas.

Please do read and review; I love reviews and I do indeed miss them. Let me know what you think!!

-Game Gal


	12. New Years Eve Day

I thought I'd try and make chapter 12 a little shorter in hopes that I'll get a few more reviews, I really would love to hear what people have to say. I'm working on the next chapter so if you wanna read it, please, send in those reviews! Enjoy!

Chapter 12: **New year's Eve; The Build up**

**Author's note: Just to be completely clear, it is now December 31st, so New Year's Eve alright? Just so we're perfectly clear. K, on to chapter 12!***

Videl inhaled deeply as she opened her eyes and was greeted by the morning rays of sun on her face. She brought her hands up to her face and started rubbing her eyes and yawned as she slowly started to wake her body up.

She sat up in the large bed and saw that it was eight thirty in the morning, she smiled to herself knowing she was now back to normal and had no illness left in her. 'Today feels like it's going to be a really great day' she thought to herself as she went to her drawers and started to pull out clothes. She quickly jumped into the shower to wake herself up completely and then once she was done she quickly got dressed, dried her hair, and then left find her way to the dining room.

She had surprised herself; she had actually managed to make it to the dining room without getting lost. She saw that no one was in the dining room yet so she went into the kitchen with a smile on her face as she was greeted by most of the houses occupants.

"Good morning everyone" she said as she walked in and took a seat beside Goku.

"Morning Videl, how'd you sleep?" Goku asked as he attempted to wait patiently for breakfast.

"I slept very well thanks, how about you?" she replied as she looked around the room and noticed that Gohan and Goten weren't' there yet.

"Like a rock" Goku said as he stared at his wife as she cooked breakfast.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Videl asked as she looked at the women going crazy to help get breakfast done quickly.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, could you set the table and start bringing some of the plates of food in; we should probably be done shortly" Chi Chi said as she pushed scrambled eggs with cheese onto a large serving plate.

"Sure thing Chi Chi" Videl said with a smile as she grabbed a stack of plates that were already out and walked into the dining room where she started to put them out in front of the chairs.

A few moments later Aaliyah walked into the room "Morning sweetie, I thought you could use some help" she said as she started to place the utensils in front of each plate Videl had put down.

"Morning mom; I'm always happy for some help" Videl said with a smile, she loved the fact that she had her mom back in her life again.

The two made conversation amongst each other as they prepared the table then both stopped as they heard a loud scream followed by laughter. A few seconds later Gohan came into the room with Goten on his shoulders, Goten laughing all the while.

The two brothers had a big grin plastered on their faces, but before Videl or Aaliyah could comment they heard a loud click then turned to see Bulma standing with her camera.

"I'm trying to get as many pictures as possible for the party tonight" Bulma said as she looked back at the picture and smiled in satisfaction at the image on Gohan and Goten.

"Alright, Aaliyah and Videl, it's your turn now" Bulma said as the two looked dumbly at her then nodded and stood beside each other and smiled at the camera.

"Perfect, now Videl you get over there with Gohan and Goten" Bulma instructed, Videl nodded as she complied and went over beside the two brothers. "Come on, do something cute" Bulma said as both Gohan and Videl blushed.

Gohan leaned over to give Videl a kiss on the cheek and just as he did that Goten went over to the other side and kissed her other cheek. Videl smiled as Bulma came up with a cute grin, "Now that it adorable" she said as she walked off with her camera and mumbled more things to herself.

"Good morning you two" Videl said as she grabbed Goten and tickled his sides.

Goten giggled loudly then once Videl stopped tickling him he returned the good morning.

"What are you up to?" Gohan asked as he watched Aaliyah start to bring food into the dining room.

"We're getting the dining room ready for breakfast; want to help?" she asked, knowing Gohan would help her with anything she asked.

"Sure thing" he said with a smile as he went into the kitchen with Videl and started to bring food into the dining room.

Before anyone knew it, breakfast was done and being served at the table. Everyone sat down and enjoyed the once again, delicious meal that was being prepared and everyone went on making their own conversations.

"Hey, mom?" Videl asked as she put some more food onto her plate.

"Yes sweetie?" Aaliyah replied as she gave her full attention to her daughter.

"I'm doing some baking today and I was wondering if you wanted to bake cookies with me this afternoon. They'll probably be the last thing I bake but I thought it could be like old times again" Videl said with a little blush.

"I'd love to bake cookies with you sweetie, I missed times like that and I would love to do it with you now that I know you're not going to light fire to the house" Aaliyah said earning a laugh from anyone who was listening to the conversation.

"Can I bake too?" a quiet voice asked from the other side of the table.

Videl was surprised at the question and looked down the table to where little Marron was sitting.

"Sweetie, you don't want to bother Videl while she's baking" Krillin said as he cut up some of her food earning a pout from the little girl.

Videl gave the three year old a smile, "of course you can help me bake. I was actually in need of a little helper so you'll be perfect. Will you be my little helper? "Videl asked earning a big smile and bright eyes from the young girl.

"I'll be the bestest helper you'll ever have!" Marron replied as she looked proudly up at her dad.

"I'll be starting right after breakfast, is that alright with you" Videl asked, amused at the little girl's reaction.

"I'll be there!...is that ok mommy?" She asked as she looked up at 18 who simply smiled and nodded to her little girl.

"Videl, do you think you'll be done baking by the time we start dinner?" Bulma asked as she put a piece of pancake in her mouth.

"I think I should be done by about then, I think if I get started as soon as breakfast is done then I should be alright, most of the stuff requires refrigerating anyways" Videl smiled as she looked over at Marron who still had a big grin on her face, "and with a helper like Marron I'm sure everything will go by really quickly" she say out of the corner of her eye a smile grow even bigger.

"Daddy, you hear that, I'm going to help" Marron said as she pulled on Krillin's sleeve in excitement.

"You just make sure you do whatever Videl says alright? No causing trouble" he said in a fake stern voice.

Bulma smiled at how cute the little girl was then went on with what she was saying previously, "Well I figure we'll eat about 5:30, and then everyone will go and get ready for the party. At about 7:30 we'll load the food into the room and make the final touch-ups on the party then we can get everything underway at about nine. Sound good to everyone?" Bulma asked as she received a nod from everyone.

"Do you think we really need to start preparing for things that early? How long does it take to get ready?" Goku asked as he received a mock glare from Bulma.

"Goku, all of us women have a lot to do; our hair, makeup, nails, clothes, accessories and such. Being beautiful doesn't just happen. You guys have it easy, all you have to do is put a suit on then you're done" she said as she finished up her pancake.

"Uh…I guess so. I think you'd all look great without getting all fancy" Goku said as he then resumed to stuffing his face.

"That's sweet of you hun, but it's nice to look extra attractive every now and then" Chi Chi said as she took a final sip of her orange juice then set the glass done, satisfied with her meal.

"Alright, I'm going to start clearing off the dishes" Chi Chi said as she stood up and started taking dishes into the kitchen. Gohan shortly followed her lead and started to load dishes into the impossibly large dishwasher.

Videl followed their lead by bring other dirty dishes into the kitchen then took a moment to look around, "Out of curiosity, where are the pans and mixers?" Videl asked as she helped in loading the large dishwasher with the mountain of dishes.

"here, I'll give you a quick tour" Chi Chi said as she started opening cupboards and showing where all the measuring cups, mixers, blenders, tins and holders were. Videl nodded and made sure to remember where everything was then went back to go bring more of the dishes into the kitchen.

Videl walked back into the dining room once everything had been cleared off and smiled at Marron who was playing with 18. "Ready to get to work?" she asked as the young girl smiled at her.

"Just let me go and change her diaper" 18 said as she picked the young girl up.

"I'll be right back Del" Marron said, still having some problems with the pronunciation with her name. Videl gave her a smile back.

"I'll be waiting in the kitchen alright? I promise I won't start without you" she said as the young girl giggled with laughter as her mom took her to go and change her diaper.

"You're very good with kids" Gohan said as he stood beside her and watched the little exchange between Videl and Marron.

"I never used to be, but I learned a few things from you and Goten and I mean… I do want a kid of my own someday so I learned to relax" She said as she rested her head on Gohans arm.

"You learned from Goten and I?" He asked in a surprised tone.

"I did, you two are so cute together and get along so well. I never knew you could be so good with kids; it's adorable" Videl said as Gohan wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a light hug.  
"Well, I best be off and get the ingredients out; got a lot of work to do!" Videl said with a smile as she took a step away from Gohan.

"Well, have fun, I'll drop by a little later and see how everything's going" he said as he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the lips, "have fun" he said as she returned the kiss and smiled as she walked off into the kitchen.

Videl walked into the kitchen as Chi Chi was wiping off the counter, "she's all yours Videl" she said with a smile. She then pointed to a drawer, "there's apron's in there just in case" she said as Videl said thank you then playfully pushed the older woman out of the kitchen.

"Go relax Chi Chi, this is my kitchen now" she said playfully as Chi Chi smiled and walked off to go and relax with her husband.

Videl stood in the kitchen for a minute with her hands on her hips then went to the fridge and started pulling ingredients out; she was going to start by making an Oreo cheesecake. She put all the ingredients onto the large counter then started bring out mixers, measuring cups and spoons, and any other utensils she might need.

As she finished bringing those ingredients Marron walked into the room. "I'm ready Del!" she said as walked into the kitchen.

"Alright, first, let's get your hair out of your face" she said as she pulled one of the elastics off of her wrist (**Authors note: I always have at least one hair elastic on my wrist! K back to the story**) and tied her blond hair into a pony tail high on her head, she then did the same with her hair and get it out of her face. "Now, let's get an apron on so we don't get dirty" she said as she grabbed two out of the drawer. Because Marron was so small she grabbed the smallest one she could find and folded it in such a way that the little girl wouldn't trip over it.

"Alright, let's wash our hands now" She said as she brought a chair over so the little girl could reach the counter top. "Ready to get started?" she asked with a smile as Marron responded by energetically nodding her head.

For the next two hours the two girls worked away at baking. First they made the Oreo cheesecake; Videl basically measured everything and Marron poured it into mixer. Then once everything was mixed Videl would hold the bowl up and Marron was in charge of making sure all of the mixed ingredients went into the other bowl. After the first cheesecake the two make a coffee cake; every now and then Videl would give Marron parts of the cake to try' for instance the crumbly topping on top of the coffee cake which consisted of cinnamon, brown sugar, butter and chocolate chips; she also gave Marron a few Oreo cookies while they were making the first cheesecake.

Videl wiped her forehead with her forearm and smiled over at the excited Marron, "Boy am I glad I have you here to help me, this is a lot of work" Videl said earning a large smile from Marron.

"I like helping you Del, mommy doesn't usually bake so I don't get to do this very often" Marron said as she leaned in closer on the counter.

"Want to get started on the strawberry layered cheesecake? This is the one your mommy said she really liked" Videl said, knowing the answer would be an energetic yes from the young girl. As she expected, Marron nodded her head rapidly, never letting her smile fade.

Videl brought a big pack of strawberries over in between the two of them, "first we have to wash the strawberries alright?" She said as she grabbed a big handful of the strawberries and put them underneath the water for a few moments then put them down onto the paper towel and dried them. Marron nodded and started to repeat Videls actions, while she did this Videl started to take the stems out of the strawberries that had already been washed.

Videl then started to cut the strawberries up and push them to the side of the cutting board, "can you put them in the big measuring cup there?" she asked as Marron complied and started picking up the cut strawberries and put them into the empty measuring cup.

Once all of the strawberries were cut Videl then brought over a bag of sugar and a measuring spoon. She held the spoon out in front of the young girl, "can you get me three big spoonfuls of sugar and put them in with the strawberries?".

"I sure can!" Marron said as she carefully stuck the spoon into the sugar bag and pulled up the measuring spoon slowly to make sure she didn't drop any of its contents.

"Excellent!" Videl said as the little girl smiled proudly at her. Videl gave the strawberries and sugar a quick stir then put them into the fridge until later when they'd need them again. The two then proceeded to pour the cream cheese and other ingredients into mixer and let it mix for a few minutes.

Videl turned around to go and grab the containers of pound cake then heard Marron give and excited giggle. Videl turned around to see what was going on but saw no change from when she had looked a moment earlier.

There was a figure from behind Videl and he put his finger to his lips and motioned for Marron to be quiet, Marron complied by tightly covering her lips with her hands.

Videl raised an eyebrow as she put the pound cakes in front of Marron, "is everything alright Marron?" She asked with slight confusion. Marron struggled to hold back giggles then finally burst into a fit of laughter. Just as Marron started laughed Videl felt something latch around her waist, thus effectively scaring her and making her scream.

"Gohan!" Marron yelled excitedly as Videl calmed herself down as Gohan laughed lightly at her.

Videl pretended to give Gohan a glare and Gohan just smiled at her, "I came to see how it was going" Gohan said as he let go of Videl "It sure does smell really good in here".

Marron smiled, "Del and I are baking!" she exclaimed as she pointed to the mixers as proof of her point.

"I can see that, it looks really good. What are you guys making?" he asked as he peered into the mixing bowl.

"Strawberry layered Cheesecake" Videl said as she turned off the mixer and took the bowl off. She stared at the ingredients for a moment then stuck her finger in the bowl so she could taste it. "Nice work Marron, this is really good" she said with a smile as she held the bowl over for Marron to taste.

She stuck her finger in the bowl once again and extender her finger to Gohan, "try it" she said, earning a blush from Gohan.

Gohan slowly leaned forward and put Videls finger lightly in his mouth and licked the contents off gently; causing Videl to start to blush now as well.

"Wow, that's really good you guys" Gohan said as he gently pulled Videl's finger form his mouth, all the while still blushing.

Videl gave him a smile, "well, while you're here could you help Marron cut the pound cake into squares?" Videl asked. Gohan smiled and came behind Marron and pulled the pound cake out of the container then grabbed a knife.

"Sure thing V" he said as he put the knife in Marron's hand and then put his hand over top of hers to control the cutting. "This a good size?" he asked as he held up a cube of cake. Videl nodded with a smile, admiring how cute the scene was then went and grabbed the pan for the cheesecake and got the strawberries. She carefully poured some of the cheesecake mixture onto the bottom, then covered it in pound cake squares and strawberries and repeated the action until the pan was completely full.

As the three worked in the kitchen, neither of them knew another person was coming in to see how things were going. Bulma was once again caring her camera and stopped as she stared at the scene. She smiled to herself as she watched the two teens and the little girl work in the kitchen. 'They're going to be such amazing parents one day' she thought to herself as she held her camera up and started to snap pictures.

"Excellent, now all we have to do is stick it in the fridge" Videl said as she brought the large pan and found a home for it in the fridge. "I have more pound cake for the next cake…but we can treat ourselves to these few pieces here" she said with a smile as Marron quickly grabbed a piece and started chewing on it.

Gohan smiled at his girlfriend and grabbed a piece and leaned across the counter to offer it for her. Videl smiled as she leaned in and put the cake in her mouth, part of it still sticking out. She gave Gohan a wink, causing Gohan to smile more and meet her half way to give her a kiss, and take half of the piece of cake. Little did they know, Bulma was standing in the background snapping pictures of their sweet moments and planned on showing them to everybody at the party.

Videl smiled at Gohan then pulled away and turned around the grabbed a few containers of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, "alright, ready to get started on the berry cake? You guys cut the berries up, we need about three cups; I'll get started on the cream cheese filling" she said as Marron nodded her head and started take out handfuls of the frozen fruit for her and Gohan to cut.

Another two hours later, Marron wiped her forehead, "this is a lot of work Del, good thing we have Gohan here to help us" Marron said as she looked up at Gohan. Videl smiled to herself, it was clear to see the little girl had a crush on Gohan it was more than adorable to watch how she acted when Gohan was that close to her.

"Well, on the bright side we're pretty much done, all we have to do is put some icing on the cupcakes then we're done" Videl said with a smile as she brought out three containers of icing and three plastic knives. Marron smiled as she eagerly started to spread globs of icing onto the baked cupcakes, and then giggled as she wiped her knife on Gohan's face leaving a big blob of icing on his face.

"Hey, what was that for?" he said with a laugh as the little girl blushed and giggled at the sight of Gohan with icing on his face.

"It wasn't me, it was Del! I'm innocent!" she cried through her laughter, her smile never fading.

"Videl did it?" He asked in fake surprise.

"She did, I saw her I swear" Marron said as she continued to giggle. Gohan turned Videl and had a fake look of shock on his face.

"Videl how could you?" He asked as Marron then once again proceeded to put icing on his nose. "You did it again!" he said, pretending to be shocked.

"I'm being framed, I swear!" Videl said, she couldn't help but laugh at how silly Gohan looked with a chunk of frosting on his nose and cheek.

Just as Gohan was about to say something again 18 walked into the kitchen. "Mommy!" Marron exclaimed excitedly as she reached her arms out to her. 18 walked over with a smile on her face at her daughter's reaction to her presence. Gohan picked Marron off of the counter and held her in is arms.

"Did you have fun?" 18 asked in a monotone voice.

"Mommy, I made cheesecake!" Marron said as she enjoyed her spot, perched on Gohans hip. "Del said I get to give you a big piece at the party tonight too" she exclaimed, so proud of the fact that she was baking.

"Well, I look forward to that…but for now you need to take a nap or you're going to be falling asleep before the party gets started" she said as Gohan handed Marron to 18.

"Ok mommy" she said as she rubbed her eyes and gave a small yawn.

"Bye Marron, thanks for your help" Videl said as she gave the girl a smile and a wave.

"Night Del, bye Gohan" she said as she rubbed her eyes and waved good bye, then 18 walked out of the large kitchen and left Gohan and Videl.

"I thought you still were going to bake cookies?" Gohan asked as he sat on a chair beside the counter.

"I am, I'm just waiting for my mom, I'm sure she'll be here any minute now" She said with a smile as she wiped the counter with a damp cloth. She smiled to herself as she kept quiet about the icing on Gohans nose, curious to see how long it would take for him to notice it on his face.

Just as Videl said those words, Goku and Aaliyah walked into the kitchen.

"Thanks Goku, I swear I'll never figure this house out" Aaliyah said as the two adults turned and looked at the two teens.

Goku looked at his son and raised an eyebrow as he noticed the icing on his face, "Hey Gohan…" Goku trailed off as he noticed Videl in the background motioning for him to be quiet.

"Yeah dad?" Gohan asked, confused as to why he stopped his sentence.

"Do…you want to spar before dinner and the party get started?" Goku asked with a smile, trying to hold his laughter in as his son remained oblivious to the big chunk of icing on his nose.

"Sure dad, I could use a good workout" Gohan said as he stood up from the chair. Aaliyah had her eyes on Gohan the whole time then finally couldn't hold it in and started to laugh at Gohan. Shortly after Videl and Goku followed her lead and started laughing at the clueless Gohan.

"What's…so funny?" Gohan asked as he raised an eyebrow and reached his arm behind his head to scratch it.

"Maybe before sparring you should go wash up Gohan" Videl said through her laughter.

"Well I did get some sugar and berry juice on me" He said as he rubbed the back on his head.

"Maybe wash your face too" Goku said with a laugh at the clueless expression his son still had on his face.

"My face?….oh crap I forgot about the icing" he said as he reached up and took some of the icing off his nose with his finger then licked his finger. "Mmm…it's good icing" Gohan said with a laugh.

"I'll meet you at the gravity chamber dad, as you noticed, I need to wash up…and change my clothes" he said as he gave everyone a wave and then walked out of the kitchen.

Aaliyah stared at the door where Gohan had just walked out, "I gotta ask…is he really as strong as everyone says he is? Maybe it's just the way he dresses…but he looks kinda scrawny; skinny even. Not that I'm trying to be insulting, he's a very sweet and kind kid; I'm just really curious" she asked as she sat down on the chair by the counter.

"Gohan has a lot more muscle then he lets on" Videl said, as she fantasized about him shirtless.

"He's a lot stronger then he lets on or knows as well" Goku said as he leaned against the counter, "he may look like some skinny kid, but Gohan's nothing but muscle"

"What do you mean by he's stronger then he knows Goku?" Aaliyah asked curiously.

"Gohan is most likely the strongest one out of all of us. He was the strongest when we fought Cell, and then he slacked off a bit. But with Gohan, it's hard to determine how strong he is because he's so emotional" Goku answered.

"Gohan's emotional?" Videl asked as she raised an eyebrow, Gohan had never done anything that would have led her to that conclusion before.

"Yea, I don't mean that he'll cry at the drop of a hat, but I mean he's emotionally driven. Say for instance some monster came in here and started killing people, Gohan would fight but he wouldn't be as strong as Vegeta or I. But if that monster came in here and started hurting loved ones, take you for instance, and then there'd be no stopping him. Whenever we fought these monsters, I had to tell him to use his feelings; if he thought about his loved ones being hurt his power would just sky rocket. Basically, he fights with his emotions; the angrier he is, the stronger he is" Goku said, he had always thought it was incredible that Gohans emotions were what kept his strength in check.

"Wow…I had no idea Gohan was like that" Videl said as she stared blankly in the kitchen "I always thought that he wanted to be strong he'd just power up" she thought out loud.

"Haha…Gohan is a mystery wrapped in an enigma" Goku said with a laugh as he looked into the fridge to find something to eat.

"Wow…you saiyans sure are something interesting" Aaliyah said as she attempted to wrap her mind around the complexity of the people she's known for such a short time.

"Man, these look good Videl, I can't wait to try these tonight" Goku said as he pulled himself out of the fridge. He figured it was best if he didn't take anything from the fridge, just in case he'd get in trouble.

"Well, anyways ladies, I best be off to meet my son in a duel. I'll see you both at dinner time" Goku said as he waved to the two ladies and walked off.

Aaliyah waited a moment then blushed, "I have to admit…that is one hell of an attractive family" she said quietly, causing Videl to laugh.

"Oh trust me mom, I more than agree with you" Videl said as she too blushed.

"Ready to get started? I see you've got enough to make more than four dozen" Aaliyah said with a laugh as she looked at the large amount of ingredients in front of them.

"You betcha" she said with a smile, she was more than excited to be baking with her mom again.

~*~Later on~*~

"Wow…do you really think 15 dozen cookies are going to go?" Aaliyah asked as she marvelled at the many containers full of freshly baked cookies.

"If they don't go tonight…then they'll be gone within the next few days" Videl said with a laugh as she put the last tray of cookies into the oven and set the timer.

"Wow, oh by the way, I've been meaning to ask you something…" Aaliyah said, she trailed off at the end and allowed a blush to creep to her cheeks.

"What's that mom?" she asked as she continued to scrub the mixing bowls.

"Is…is that Yamcha….is he dating someone?" She asked in a shy tone.

Videl smiled, "wow, I can't believe it, mom you have a crush on Yamcha! That's so cute…and no he's not taken" Videl said as she nudged her mom lightly and winked.

"Mom, you should ask him if he wants to dance tonight; I've seen you guys talking a lot at the dinner table, I think he might be into you" Videl said as she continued to clean the kitchen.

"I don't know…" Aaliyah said as she rubbed her arm and looked at her feet.

"Come on mom, what do you have to lose?" Videl said as she finished wiping the counter. Aaliyah just continued to stare at the ground.

"I took a big chance too with Gohan you know" Videl said as she continued to try and convince her mother.

"Yea, but you guys are clearly in love" She said causing Videl to blush a little.

"Be that as it may… after dinner tonight, as everyone starts to get up just ask him if he'd want to be your dance partner tonight at the party" Videl said as she leaned against the counter, "Play it down as if you were going to go as friends, and then see how things go".

"I guess I could try it…you're right, what do I have to lose?" Aaliyah said as she started to build her own self confidence up.

That's the spirit mom, go for it!" Videl said as Chi Chi walked into the kitchen.

"Wow, it smells great in here you guys" Chi Chi said as she stopped for a moment to smell the kitchen.

"Thanks Chi Chi, there's lots of desserts for tonight so I hope you don't fill up on dinner" Videl said with a smile as she checked on the cookies.

"Oh I'll be sampling, trust me. But speaking of dinner it's time for me to reclaim the kitchen and get it started" Chi Chi said as Videl stood up and backed away from the oven.

"The cookies will be done in like five minutes, then I'll be out of your hair Chi Chi" Videl said in a voice that mocked intimidation.

"Don't worry about it sweetie, you've been in here for over three hours, I'll put them in the container for you and make sure they're safe from saiyan hands" She said as she slowly pushed Videl out of the kitchen.

"Are you sure Chi Chi?" Videl asked.

"Positive, now go and relax!" She said with a smile as she completely pushed the girl out of the room lightly.

Chi Chi turned around and gave Aaliyah a smile, "I love your daughter Aaliyah, she's perfect for my Gohan and she's so sweet".

"I'd love to be able to take full credit for her upbringing but unfortunately I missed a good chunk of it" Aaliyah said in a sad tone.

"Clearly you've had more of an impact then that idiot; in fact any trace of him in her personality that I had seen is now almost completely gone. When I first met her, she and I got into a screaming match" Chi Chi said with a smile as she thought back to the day she met the very head strong girl.

"Gohan has changed her for the better; in all my years of watching over her, I've never seen her as happy as she is now that he's in her life. I can't thank you enough for bringing light back into her" Aaliyah said as a tear fell slowly down her cheek.

"They belong together, and you belong here with our group" Chi Chi said with a sad smile as she gave the newly revived woman a hug.

"Now, I saw you were able to help with cookies, think you'd be up for helping with dinner?" She asked in a playful voice.

"I'd be happy to help" Aaliyah said with a smile as she rolled her sleeves up in preparation for the cooking ahead of her.

~*~ Later on~*~

Everyone had managed to occupy their time with various activities; Goten and Trunks played video games, Aaliyah helped Chi Chi with the dinner, Bulma was preparing her slid show and karaoke songs, Videl took a nap, Gohan and Goku trained in the gravity room, and Vegeta kept walking around the house as if he were looking for something.

Goten and trunks walked into the kitchen after a few hours of mindless video games. "Mommy, when's dinner ready?" Goten asked as his stomach gave off a loud grumbling noise.

"We're putting it onto the table now. Could you two go and do me a favour? I've told everyone else that dinner was ready but could one of you go knock on Videl's door and tell her, and the other go and tell Goku and Gohan it's ready" Chi Chi asked as she loaded a bowl with scalloped potatoes.

"I'll go tell dad and Gohan, Trunks can you go and tell Videl? Her room is right beside Gohan's" Goten said as he ran off to gather his father and brother quickly.

"Doesn't leave me with much choice…" Trunks said as he ventured off to Videls room.

Goten ran quickly to the training room and opened the door; his stomach continued to grumble angrily in hunger.

He saw flashes of light coming from the gravity chamber so he opened the door and ran in quickly. Just as he did so, Goku looked over to see why the gravity had returned to normal, Gohan landed a punch square in his jaw.

"Ow, Gohan no fair I was looking to see who came in" Goku said as he rubbed his jaw.

"Sorry dad" Gohan said sheepishly as he turned to look at his little brother. "What's up squirt?" he asked.

"You guys have to come to dinner right now, there's no time to change…I'm so hungry!" he said quickly as he flapped his arms to emphasize his point. Before the other two could say something Goten had run back to no doubt go and get his food.

"Haha, guess we better hurry" Goku said as he walked over to the sink and washed his hands.

"No kidding, geez little guy must be starving" he said with a laugh as he too went to go and wash his hands. Gohan looked up in the mirror for a moment then let out another laugh," I guess I'm going to have to get Bulma to make me another saiyaman costume; my green robe was obliterated in that spar". He had noticed al he had left on his was his black spandex under suit.(**Authors note: Think Majin Buu series!)

"That's ok, you managed to destroy my top orange shirt, now all I have is the blue shirt" Goku said as he shared in the laugh with his son, "but we better hurry up…I'm kinda hungry too" he said as his stomach let out a loud grumbling noise.

"Let's boogie" Gohan said as the two men walked out the door and headed to the dining room, the two not even realizing they hadn't left their super saiyan forms yet.

Just as the two men arrived in the dining room everyone was just taking their seats. Videl had come down a few minutes earlier and taken a seat beside her mom and the chair beside her was empty, obviously being for Gohan.

"Smells great Chi" Goku said, announcing his and Gohans presence in the room.

Krillin snickered for a minute, "Geez Gohan, way to leave nothing to the imagination" he said, drawing everyone's attention to Gohan in his black spandex body suit.

Gohan felt a heavy blush come up on his cheeks as Krillin said this, "my green robe that goes on top got destroyed in our spar" he said as he kept his head down to avoid everyone's gazes and snickers.

Videl's jaw dropped, 'my god he's gorgeous' she thought as she too blushed. 'I did not know Gohan could look any sexier then I had already thought' she thought to herself as he came beside her and sat down, all the while starring downwards.

"Um…why is your hair blonde? And your eyes green?" Aaliyah asked as she studied this man that they we're calling Gohan, she was pretty sure she had only ever seen him with black hair and eyes before. Come to think of it, was that Goku? She thought to herself as the studied the two.

Goku let out a laugh, "we were in such a rush to come and eat we didn't even power down" he said as he took a seat beside Chi Chi.

Videl reached up and lightly touched Gohan's now blonde hair, causing his to look at her with a questioning look.

Videl blushed and took her hand back quickly, "I'm sorry, I've never been this close to you before when you've gone super".

"It's alright" Gohan said as he powered down, "Aaliyah, when we saiyans power up and get blond hair and green eyes, the transformation is called a 'super saiyan'; it means not only do our hair and eyes change colours, but we gain more strength and muscle" Gohan said as he followed everyone's lead and started piling food onto his plate.

Aaliyah leaned over to Videl, "You were right, he is all muscle; you've got yourself quite a catch!" she whispered in her daughter's ear.

"Mom!" Videl said loudly, drawing the attention of few people that were sitting around her.

"What? Gohan is quite the catch!" she said out loud causing both her daughter and Gohan to blush heavily.

Goku laughed at his son, "Gohan, is that a sunburn? Or are you blushing" he said, enjoying how bashful his son was in front of everyone.

"Dad, you're embarrassing me" Gohan said in a quiet voice as he grabbed his knife and fork, preparing to dig into the mound of food in front of him.

Dinner flew by for the gang and before they knew it everyone was smiling and discussing how full they were and how delicious the meal was.

"I'll get the dishes mom" Gohan said as he pushed his chair back and started to take his load of dishes into the kitchen.

"I'll help you" Videl said as she stood up and started to grab plates that were around her brought them into the kitchen. As she walked in there she saw Gohan loading his pile of dishes into the large dishwasher.

He looked up and smiled at her, "you know I can load the dishes and you can relax" He said as he stood up and started taking dishes from Videl.

"I'm happy to help" she said as she loaded some of the dishes Gohan hadn't grabbed yet and loaded them into the dishwasher as well.

"So are you excited for tonight? You get your big make over" he said in a joking tone.

"Ha, I guess I'm a little excited, I think I'm more worried though" she said as she leaned against the counter once her hands were empty.

"Oh? Why nervous?" he asked in a puzzled tone.

"I dunno, I've never really been much for dressing up; I hate showing off my legs and there's never anything that can be done with my hair. I'm probably going to look just like I do now" she said in a nonchalant tone of voice.

"If that's the case, you'll be the best looking one there" he said as he came over and gave her a tight hug.

"Well thank you" she said as she returned the hug and leaned up to give him a kiss. Just as their lips touched they heard a loud 'click' and a flash of light. The two pulled apart and once again saw Bulma standing there with her camera.

"Tonight's slide show is going to be so awesome" Bulma squealed excitedly as she put down a few plates then rushed out of the kitchen.

"You know, it scares me to know how many pictures she's gotten of us that we've known about…can you imagine how many pictures of us she has without us knowing?" Gohan asked as he scratched his head.

"You think she's taken pictures of us that we don't know about?" Videl asked in a puzzled tone.

"I sure wouldn't put it past her" he said, "anyways, we better go and finish with the dishes; you've gotta get ready soon", he grabbed her hand lightly and pulled her back towards the dining room to go and finished collecting the dirty dishes.

Once the dishes were done everyone stayed in the dining room for a 'meeting' about the New Year party.

Bulma looked at her watch, "Alright, it's going on 7:30 now; since we have more to do, all of us ladies are going to go and start getting ready. I want you guys to be ready by about 9, which is when we'll start to get things underway. I figure at about nine we'll bring the Videl's delicious looking desserts into the ball room; then get things under way. Does that sound alright with everyone?" she said as she looked around and received collective nods in agreement.

"Goku, you better shower beforehand" Chi Chi said as she poked her son in the chest, "Gohan and Goten too" she said as she gave the boys a stern look. Her look earned three nods of agreement as well.

Videl nudged her mom and gave her a wink; her mom blushed a little so Videl gave her a light push in Yamcha's direction.

"Alright, we'll see you all in an hour and a half; remember, dress to the nines!" Bulma said as she grabbed Videl and Chi Chi's hand and started to lightly pull them out of the room.

Videl gave Gohan a small smile and mouthed the word 'bye' as she waved to him while being pulled out of the room. Gohan returned the smile and said bye as well, then she was out of sight.

"Hey Aaliyah, I'd catch up with them quickly if I were you; I have no clue what room they're getting ready in" Goku said as he noticed a blushing Aaliyah and a grinning Yamcha talking.

"Right, thanks" she said as she quickly ran out of the room to catch up with the other women.

"What are we going to go for half an hour; I can't imagine it'll take more than an hour for us to get ready" Gohan said as he looked at the guys around room.

"Wanna play some video games?" Trunks asked as he looked at the Son boys.

"Sounds good to me" Goku said with a grin as then went off to play video games.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

Bulma, Chi Chi, 18, Marron, Aaliyah and Videl went into a large room with what looked to be a makeup stand, a hair dressing station, and then there were six mannequins with different dresses on them and shoes beside them. Then off in the corner there was another desk that had six clear boxes filled with what looked like jewellery.

"This is what I like to call my dress up room" Bulma said as she locked to door behind the girls, "I've set up a station for everything we may need, and there's lots of cozy chairs and there's a fridge behind that door with cold drinks in there if anyone would like a pre-party glass of wine, or glass of water" she said as she beamed with pride at her room.

"I'm gonna be honest here…I don't know how to do make up…or my hair for that matter" Videl said as she studied everything Bulma had lain out.

"That's quite alright hun, we've got it all figured out. From what I've heard, Videl your hair is going to take the longest so your mom best get started on it now" Bulma said as she stepped aside and motioned to a cozy chair in front of a mirror.

Videl sat on the cozy chair and looked up into the mirror, "So I get to see what's going on now?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"Not a chance" Aaliyah said as she spun Videl so her back was to the mirror, "now ladies, let me work my magic" she said as she cracked her knuckles and grabbed a brush. Videl heaved a sigh and leaned back and made herself comfortable as her mom started pinning hair up in sections.

Bulma sat infront of a mirror and started to take the makeup she had put on earlier off so she could put on her party make up. "So Videl, have you decided what other song you were going to sing tonight? I have the 'life goes on', what else we're you think of" She asked as she rubbed one of her eyes with a cream.

"I was thinking of doing 'I turn to you', or 'the voice within'….are you curling my hair?" Videl asked as she saw her mom wrap a strand of her hair in a hot roller. All Aaliyah did was nod and smile, then go back to what she was doing.

"You should do both!" Bulma exclaimed excitedly, "Tell you what, start with 'I turn to you' then if you feel comfortable do the third song; that would be a perfect song to have the slide show accompany".

"Alright" was all Videl said as she watched everyone do their own thing in the large room.

"Oh I have the perfect idea…and sorry but I've already set it up. You walk out on stage and the lights go on, but there's a thin curtain in front of you so all you can see is your outline, no one will know it's you. Then bam! We'll take the screen up and show off how gorgeous you are" Bulma said excitedly as she pictured it in her head. All Videl did was give a half smile and gave into whatever the older women wanted.

Videl felt her mom change her natural part in her hair and saw her hold what looked like a silver hair band, then put it in the middle of her hair. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her now below shoulder length hair being combed to the side of her hair, then twisted and pinned near the back of her head; she then felt her mom starting to take her hair out of the hot curlers.

Videl kept looking at the clock; she had been sitting there for 50 minutes now. In that time she had watched Bulma put short hair back into a French twist, Chi Chi put her hair in large rollers so it had soft, large curls in it and let it hand loosely on her shoulders; 18 pushed the front of her hair back and gave herself the bump just at the top of her head (I can't for the life of me remember what they're called) and had the rest curled lightly and in a messy bun (like a Jessica Alba look), and Marron had her hair pulled back with little blue pins and was then curled lightly to give it a wave.

Aaliyah bit her lip, "You have a few stubborn strands, I can't get them to stay up" she said as she tried to pin a piece of curled hair up only to have it fall back again. "What do you guys think?" Aaliyah asked as she drew everyone's attention to her daughter.

"Aaliyah…my god that's so amazing; Videl I hardly recognize you! You're gorgeous!" Chi Chi said as she studied the teen, barely believing she was the same person

"Wow, Aaliyah you should be a hairstylist, that's so amazing. Actually, I think those stubborn strands of hair work in your favour" Bulma said as she came closer and studied Videl's hair.

"That's pretty good for a woman who hasn't been alive very long" 18 said in a joking ton as she smiled and studied the teenager.

"Ready to see Videl?" Her mom asked, pride clearly evident in her voice. She then turned Videl around in her chair and watched as Videl looked at the mirror stunned.

"Wow…mom, I barely recognize myself" she said as she leaned forward and studied herself in the mirror. Her hair was parted so a piece was sweeping slightly over her right eye and was twisted and pinned behind her ear. She saw the silver band in her hair then behind it she said her hair was curled and pinned up (**Authors note: The look I'm basically attempting to describe is Taylor Swift in Love Story, k? back to the story!!).

Aaliyah smiled at her daughter's reaction, "Do you like it?" she asked in a slightly nervous tone.

Videl gave her a large smile, "mom, I love it" she said as she stood up and gave her a big hug

"Gohan, isn't going to recognize you; then when he does he's going to go absolutely crazy when he see you" Chi Chi said happily as she tried to picture her son's reaction.

"Alright ladies, we've got forty minutes to go. Aaliyah you best get started on your hair after doing an incredible job on Videl's. Chi Chi you said you'd do her make up right?" Bulma asked as she earned a nod from Chi Chi, "perfect, then all the rest of us have to do is put our makeup on, get dressed and get out there" she said excitedly.

Chi Chi gave Videl a smile, "come here sweetie, time for me to work my magic on you" she said as she walked Videl over to a new table and had her sit down; once again she was turned around so she couldn't see herself.

Videl sat there as Chi Chi gave the odd request for her to do something, 'I can't believe how pretty I look' she thought to herself as she remembered her reflection, ' I really hope Gohan likes is'.

"Can you close your eyes please" Chi Chi asked as she started to apply mascara to Videls lashes. Videl had zoned out then felt something pull in her face causing her to jar out of her own little world. "Sorry hun; just evening out your eyebrows!" she said with a laugh. A few minutes later Chi Chi stood up straight then turned Videl around so she could look in the mirror. "Well, what do you think?".

Videl leaned forward, her eyes looked amazing; Chi Chi had used natural colours on Videl's eyes, but the way she had used a shimmery silver lightly on her lid really played up her eyes, especially with the eye liner and long eye lashes. She had used a little bronzer on her face and put blush on the apple of her cheeks to accent her cheek bones. Then she used a natural pink colour on her lips, the result made her plump lips look plumper and more alluring.

"Chi Chi, I think I look like a completely new person" She said as she gave Chi Chi a smile and then gave her a big hug. "I hope Gohan likes it" she said as she pulled away from the hug.

"Videl, trust me, he's going to go absolutely nuts over you" She said, looking forward to watching her son's reaction and his girlfriend make over.

Chi Chi watched as Bulma came over, now completely dressed. "Chi, you go finish getting dressed, I'm going to get her dress on" she said as she grabbed Videl's hand and then pulled her towards the three remaining mannequins. "Here, go put this on" she said as she handed Videl a bra.

"You want me to change my bra?" Videl asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Don't take it personally, you're breasts are spectacular, it's just so it will go with the dress better. Don't be upset but we peeked in your drawer to get your size" She said sheepishly as Videl nodded and went behind a door and changed her top.

"Sweetie, would you be comfortable just walking out without your shirt on? It makes putting your dress on easier" Bulma said.

Videl blushed, "alright" she said as she took a deep breath in as she left her shit on a chair and walked out toward Bulma.

Bulma gave her a big smile, "This is your dress" Bulma said as she pointed to a mannequin with a black dress on it.

Videl felt her mouth open a little in shock, "wow…" was all she could say as she studied the dress. It was a sleeveless dress that did up around her neck and the front dipped down in a V shape. The back of her dress came to the middle of the back of the mannequin; the back of the dress went down to the floor and the front came up to about mid-thigh length then slightly waved as it connected with the longer fabric. "It's beautiful" Videl said as she walked up and touched the satiny looking dress.

Bulma smiled, "Let's get it on you" She said as she unzipped the back of the dress. She had Videl raise her arms to protect her hair from being messed up and then let it slide over Videl's slim body. Once it was completely over Videl, she went to her back and did up the little zipper and made sure the fabric that held her dress up around her neck wasn't twisted.

She bent down and gave the bottom of her dress a little tug to straighten it out and then smiled as she stood up and admired their handy work.

"Before you look at your reflection, 18 can you accessorize her?" She asked as a smiling 18 came forward with a clear box with silver jewellery in it.

"Chi Chi said you should wear this necklace" 18 said as she held up the necklace Gohan had given her for Christmas.

"I would absolutely love to wear it" She said with a smile as she felt the cold metal hit her skin as 18 did the necklace up. She then put long dangly silver earrings in her bottom earring holes, and then put sapphire studs in the top holes. 18 then put a sapphire and silver bracelet on her wrist. Finally 18 turned around and grabbed a pair of black, four inch heels and motioned for Videl to give her one foot.

Videl studied the heels that were being slipped onto her feet; they had a shiny look to them, and looked almost like stilettos but they had a slightly thicker heel.

"Alright, give yourself a look over" 18 said; all the women in the room turned to watch Videl's reaction in hopes that their efforts weren't in vein.

Videl looked in the mirror and couldn't believe it was her, she looked so beautiful! "You guys…I don't even look like the same person!" she said as she turned around a little to see how her back side looked and then stuck one of her feet out, "You guys were right, these heels do make my legs look nice" she said as she marvelled at how well she looked. She leaned forward, "haha you were right Bulma, this bra does work better with my chest" she said as she looked at how the dress dipped down and showed off part of her breasts and ended just above her bra.

She kept turning in the mirror and stared at her profile, "Wow, this dress makes me look so tiny, I had no idea" she said as she studied her view.

"Sweetie, you are really thin" Chi Chi said as she watched the girl admire herself.

She turned around and smiled to everyone in the room, "You guys, I can't thank you enough, thank you" she said as she walked over and gave all of the women a big group hug. She took a step back and grinned at all of the other women.

"You guys look so amazing, you're all absolutely gorgeous!" She said as she studied each of their dresses, Bulma had on a short light pink dress with straps that hung lightly on her shoulders, Chi Chi had on a simple navy blue satin dress on with no straps that went down all the way to the floor, 18 had on a fire red dress that did up around her neck and showed off her slim shoulder, then she had a high slit on the side of her dress, showing off toned leg.

Videl smiled at her mom; her dress was almost identical to Marilyn Monroe's famous dress, she had also done her hair in a Marilyn Monroe style. "Mom, I like the Marilyn Monroe look on you. Yamcha is going to die when he sees you" she said with a smile as her mother blushed and the other women turned in surprise then grinned.

"He's going to go nuts Aaliyah" Bulma said with a smile, "now, I'd like you guys to go and make sure that the guys are all ready now as it's ten after nine and bring in the desserts; get the guys to help you. Videl, you come with me, we're going a different way so no one will see you in your gown and they'll be surprised" she said in a commanding tone.

"You got it Bulma" Chi Chi said with a smile as she mock saluted her, "You heard her girls, let's get a move on" She said as she, 18, and Aaliyah walked out the door.

"Let's get going" She said as she motioned for Videl to follow her in the opposite direction; Videl simply nodded and complied.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

The others walked into the living room and saw all the men sitting around in their suits and making small talk, even Vegeta was being social.

"Goku, Gohan, Goten, I'd like you to help us bring in the desserts please" Chi Chi said as the others had gone ahead to get the desserts to bring out.

"Chi, you look great" Goku said as he came over and gave her a hug and a kiss.

"You do mom, you look great" Gohan said as Goten nodded in agreement and told her she was pretty as well.

"Thank you boys, you all look very handsome yourself" She said as she straightened Goku's tie and then motioned for them to follow her and help bring in the desserts.

It took about ten minutes to bring in the large amount of desserts, everyone's mouths watered as they say the assortment of desserts and other foods in front of them and completely forgot about the food they had eaten earlier.

Bulma dimmed the lights once everyone was in the ball room and walked over to Videl. "Alright hun, I'm going to make sure everyone's out there and I want you to stand in front of this mic the whole time. Once you hear the music you sing away alright?" she said as Videl gave a meek nod. "Go get em girl" she said as she gave her the thumbs up and walked back out onto the stage.

"What am I doing…?" Videl thought to herself as she tried to work up the courage to sing in front of everyone.

Gohan looked around the crowd as Bulma fiddled with the music player on the stage, "Hey mom, have you seen Videl?" Gohan asked as he looked around the decorated room.

"Oh I'm sure she'll be here soon" Chi Chi said with a grin.

"Yea, I can't imagine she'd miss this party, I'm sure she'll be here soon Gohan" Goku said as he joined his son in looking around the room for his girlfriend.

Before Gohan could respond Bulma spoke up on the stage, "Hello everybody, I'm glad we managed to get this started relatively on time. We've got everything you need here, food, drinks, desserts and music. Let's keep it a clean night; Vegeta that means no challenging Goku to anything, and let's just have some fun ringing in the New Year!" She said excitedly as she looked at her group of dressed up friends.

"I figured we'd start the night off with a slide show glancing back at the past year, so let's enjoy the music, and enjoy the memories" She said as everyone cheered and applauded her. She then walked over to a computer and started hitting keys quickly and then a group picture of everyone at Christmas time flashed up on the screen.

Bulma smiled to herself and then grabbed her camera; there was no way she was missing Gohan's reaction when he saw Videl.

Videl was standing behind the curtain listening to Bulma talk and do her introductions, she could feel herself getting more and more nervous.

"I can do this" she said to herself quietly as she stared as the mic that was in front of her. "I can do this" she repeated to herself again as she tried to calm herself down.

She heard a slow beat of the song starting to play loudly. She took a deep breath in and breathed out slowly.

'This is it' she thought to herself as she stepped towards the mic and prepared to sing.

Alright, this is my chapter, I've got another one in the works so please, please PLEASE read and review!! I'd love to know what you guys think! Please?!?! =)

Oh, I don't know if anyone was interested, but I do love to bake and I have my recipes for all of the desserts I mentioned above. If anyone wanted one of them I'd be happy to e-mail you a copy.


	13. New Year's Eve Party

I'd like to take a moment and thank those of you who have reviewed my story and given me feedback. I'd also like to say that I'm quite flattered at the amount of people who've made me one of their favourite authors, or who've called my story one of their favourites as well; I really truly am flattered. With that, I'd also like to continue to encourage people to keep sending in reviews, I love hearing what everyone thinks about my writings. Anything, feedback, ideas, suggestions, what you like or dislike….anything!

Once again, I wrote this chapter shorter than I did when I restarted my writing in hopes that you won't all get bored with it!!

I'd also like to say that sadly I don't own any of the songs listed below and I'm merely an enjoyer of them all.

Hope you all enjoy the next chapter and remember….read and review!!!

Chapter 13: New Year's Eve Party

Gohan looked around the dimly lit ball room, "Videl is going to miss the slideshow if she doesn't hurry up" Gohan said as he continued to look around.

"Where is Videl, Gohan?" Goten asked as he looked around the room for his brother's girlfriend. "Do you think she's ok?" he questioned with concern in his small voice.

"I'm not too sure where she is squirt, but I'm sure she's alright. Videl is a pretty strong girl so I'm sure she's ok" Gohan said trying to reassure his little brother.

"She may be strong…but we're stronger…what if she needs our help" Goten replied, still holding onto his concerned tone of voice.

"If Videl seems to be in trouble, Goten I promise you everyone here will protect her; you can help in protecting her alright squirt?" He replied to his brother.

"I'm sure she'll be here in a minute Gohan, I can feel her presence nearby. She's probably in the bathroom or something" Goku said as he did a quick look around the room as well.

"I guess" Gohan said as he focus his attention to the large screen as slow music started to play.

On the other side of the thin white curtain Videl could feel her chest tighten as the music started to play. She took a deep breath and then started to sing.

_**When I'm lost in the rain,  
In your eyes I know I'll find the light  
To light my way.  
And when I'm scared,  
And losing ground,  
When my world is going crazy,  
You can turn it all around.  
And when I'm down you're there  
- pushing me to the top.**_

Videl felt her confidence building as her silhouette was viewed by everyone in the ball room. She smiled to herself as she sang and heard the surprised gasps and whispers in the background as she continued to sing.

"I…think I recognize that voice…" Gohan said out loud, earning a questioning look from his father which he shook off.

_**You're always there,  
giving me all you've got.  
For a shield from the storm,  
For a friend, for a love  
to keep me safe and warm  
I turn to you.  
For the strength to be strong,  
For the will to carry on  
For everything you do,  
for everything that's true  
I turn to you.**_

Gohan continued to look around the room then saw bright lights flash and reveal a thin, curvy silhouette behind a thin white screen. He narrowed his eyes to try and figure out who it was but couldn't but his finger on it.

'That voice…it sounds like Videl…but I can't tell if that's her or not. That hair too…I didn't think her hair could do anything, this person's hair is up' Gohan thought to his self as he stared at the figure on the stage.

"Who is that Chi?" Goku whispered as he watched the slide show continue.

"You'll see soon enough sweetie" Chi Chi whispered back as she leaned her head against Gout's shoulder and smiled at how well Videl sang and enjoyed the pictures of everyone on the screen.

As the chorus finished the screen slowly started to rise revealing the figure behind it.

Gohan could see Bulma standing near him with a camera but couldn't figure out why so he just ignored her. He watched as the screen lifted revealing a pair of sexy legs in black heels and a black dress, it continued to raise showing off the person's curvy figure, then went up to where her breasts were and then continued to go upwards.

Videl watched the curtain continue to rise and inhaled deeply, nervous to see what Gohan's reaction would be to seeing her so dressed up. She saw the screen rise to the point where it was exposing the bottom on her face, through the screen she could see where Gohan was standing and she gave a smile as she pointed to Gohan while singing the next part of the song.

_**When I lose the will to win,  
I just reach for you and  
I can reach the sky again.  
I can do anything  
'Cause your love is so amazing,  
'Cause your love inspires me.  
And when I need a friend,  
You're always on my side  
Giving me faith  
taking me through the night**_

Gohan watched the screen rise and reveal a smile, "No way…" Gohan said as he watched intently and watched as it revealed his girlfriend.

Gohan took a moment to stare and let Videl's look sink in, "Holy shit…" Gohan said as his eyes went Videl and his mouth hung open completely.

"Wow Gohan, Videl sure does clean up nicely, I barely recognize her" Goku said as he stared in amazement and his sons' girlfriend; he was both impressed with how she looked, and how good she sounded.

Gohan couldn't formulate any words, he knew Bulma was taking pictures of him but he couldn't take his eyes off his girlfriend.

Videl smiled as she watched Gohan's expression, 'I guess that means he likes it' she thought to herself as she continued to sing. Once everyone realized that it was her singing and not a professional singer, everyone in the room started to cheer for her; even Vegeta and Piccolo were clapping for her.

Videl was nearing the end of the song; she sang the last chorus and showed off her vocal abilities, matching Christina Aguilera's pitch perfectly. Once she was finished the song there was silence in the room for a few moments and then everyone started clapping and whistling loudly. Videl gave a bow and let a blush creep to her cheeks.

'I can't believe I actually just did that' she thought to herself as she hung the mic back up and continued to smile as she received applauds.

Videl had a smile on her face as she lifted her dress up a little and walked down the stairs on the side of the stage. She heard clicking heels and turned and saw her mother running toward her. She saw Bulma standing over by Gohan and gave the older woman a smile and in return she received a thumbs up and a wink.

"Sweetie, you were so amazing that couldn't have gone any better" Aaliyah said as she ran over and gave her daughter a big hug.

"Thanks mom, I was pretty nervous but I felt good after the first few verses" Videl said as she hugged her mother back, seeing flashes and know Bulma was taking pictures of this mother-daughter exchange of affection.

"Mom, if it's alright with you, I'd like to go and say hi to Gohan. I'm curious to see how he thinks I look" she said as she let go of her mom and made her way towards Gohan, as she walked towards him everyone offered her compliments.

"Hi Gohan" Videl said as she stood in front him; his look hadn't changed from the wide eyes and mouth hanging open.

"…Gohan?" She asked as she looked up at him, but his face still remained the same and he still remained in his own little world.

Goku raised an eyebrow as his son stared at his girlfriend, he could tell Videl was starting to feel self conscious about herself as Gohan failed to answer her. He looked back between the two again and then slapped him upside the head and knocked him out of his stupor.

"Wow" Gohan said as he closed his mouth and stared at his girlfriend.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked as she spun around and pretended to model a little and then looked back up at him with a smile.

"You look…wow….I just…you don't even…wow" Gohan said, stuttering his words.

"Videl, I barely recognized you" Goku said as he gave the teen a hug. "You look as beautiful, and you sounded incredible; you really are the whole package" he said with a smile in a wink.

"Thanks Goku, I didn't recognize myself either" she said with a blush.

"Well Videl, Gohan is clearly speechless" Chi Chi said as she looked at her son as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. "I told you he'd be amazed by how good you look" she said as she gave her a hug.

"Thank you Chi Chi" she said with a smile as she returned the hug.

"Videl…you look incredible" Gohan said as he looked Videl over, simply stunned at the transformation she had made from less than two hours ago. "I thought you said nothing could ever be done with your hair" he said as he reached out and gingerly touched her curled hair.

"Usually nothing can be done with my hair…at least I can never do anything with my hair. But my mom sat me down for an hour and worked away at it and somehow managed to accomplish this" she said with a laugh as she watched her boyfriend touch her curled hair lightly.

Gohan smiled, "you're absolutely beautiful" he said as Videl relaxed, glad to hear that he liked the way she looked. He blushed as he stared at her figure, "that is an incredible dress too" he said earning a blush from Videl as well.

"Thanks, your mom and everyone actually made it for me" she said as she smiled at Chi Chi.

"And It was our pleasure hun" she said as she looked proudly at the dress she played a hand in creating.

Goten came running up and stopped for a minute and then stare at Videl. He appeared to become shy as he stepped behind Goku's leg and tugged on it lightly.

"What is it Goten?" Goku asked as he bent down to his son and stared at the plate of assorted food he had in his hands.

"Who is that?" he whispered as he pointed at Videl, and gave a confused look.

"You don't know who this is?" Gohan asked as he motioned towards Videl.

Goten raised an eyebrow, "Gohan, I don't think Videl would like you bringing some strange woman in here…have we met before?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes a little and stared at the girl that was standing beside his big brother; never once leaving his place from behind his father's leg.

"That is Videl, Goten don't you recognize her?" Goku asked as he laughed at how shy his son could be at times.

"Videl?' he asked as he stepped out from behind Goku's legs. "But…that looks nothing like Videl" he thought out loud as he stared at the woman

Videl offered a smile and crouched down on her heels, "What's up squirt?" she asked.

As soon as she spoke Goten recognized her immediately and smiled at her as she was now at eye level. "Wow, Videl you're so pretty!" he exclaimed as he stepped towards her and started to act a little shy.

"You're looking quite handsome yourself there squirt" she said as he blushed and started to avoid contact as he said a quiet thank you to her. "You boys clean up quite nicely" she said as she straightened his tie and gave him a wink and made his blush deepen.

Goten was quiet for a moment then his original thought popped back into his head. "Dad you've got to go and try Videl's baking, it's so good. Videl, it's delicious!" he exclaimed as he pointed to the piece of cheesecake that was sitting on his plate.

Goku eyed the piece of cheesecake as a little bit a drool came out of his mouth, "that sure does look good son" he said as he felt himself inching closer and closer to Goten's piece only to have Goten pull the plate away quickly causing Goku to pout in response.

Goten stuck his tongue out at his father, "this is mine, get your own dad!" he exclaimed as he protected his cheesecake.

"I'd love to try some of that too, it looks delicious" Gohan said as he eyed his little brother's piece.

"let's go get some!" Goku exclaimed excitedly as he ran over to the dessert table where people had already started to dig into the baked goods.

Gohan watched his father and laughed a little, "he's like a kid with food" he said.

"Look who's talking" Videl said with a laugh as he grabbed her hand gently and walked quickly over to the table as well.

Gohan followed his father's lead and grabbed a large plate and started cutting himself pieces of each cake; first the strawberry cheesecake, then the Oreo one, then the berry cake, then a cup cake, and then a cookie. Gohan's eyes lit up as he piled all of the sweets onto his plate.

"You're just like your dad; it's so adorable" Videl said as she watched the two men eye their desserts with a big grin on their faces.

They both grabbed a fork and simultaneously took a bit out of a cake and as soon as it hit their taste buds they started grinning widely.

"Videl, will you marry my son now?" Goku asked earning a blush from Gohan and Videl.

"Do you like it?" she asked trying to avoid answering the question Goku had asked.

"V, this is delicious, I had no idea you were such a little baker" Gohan said as he quickly devoured one piece of cheesecake and then started working on the next piece.

"I cannot wait until you are my daughter in-law" Goku said as he continued to shovel sweets into his mouth.

Goten raised an eyebrow, "Daddy, does that mean Videl is going to be my sister?" Goten asked innocently as Gohan shot him a look that simply told him to keep quiet.

Videl smiled as she watched the three eat her desserts and then felt a small tug and her dress. She looked down and she saw Marron looking up at her with big and curious eyes.

"Well hey there gorgeous" Videl said with a smile as she knelt down to Marron's eye level.

"Del, can you help me give my mommy a piece of cake?" she asked as she point up at the table.

"Of course Marron; you baked it you deserve t show off how good at it you are" she said as she cut a piece of strawberry cheesecake off and put it on a plate along with a fork.

"I'll be right back" she said to Gohan as she walked with the plate in her hand and Marron's hand holding her free one.

"Mommy" Marron said as she tugged on her mother's dress, thus effectively gaining her attention.

"Yes sweetie?" she asked as Videl bent down and gave the little girl the plate.

"Mommy try the cake I made" she said as she handed the plate to her mother.

18 took the plate and cut off a piece with a fork and then put it in her mouth. "This is absolutely delicious Marron, you're going to have to do this more often" she said as she gave her little girl a hug and offered a smile to Videl. "Let's go give daddy a taste of this cake" she said as she gave Videl another smile and then grabbed her daughter's hand and made her way to find her husband.

Videl walked back towards Gohan and noticed that he was still eating a plate of dessert along with Goku and Vegeta.

Vegeta ate his dessert in silence in front of the table as Videl walked up to him. "So Vegeta, what do you think" she asked him with a grin, she knew he was enjoying the food, she was just curious to see if he'd say he was actually enjoying it.

"It's alright" he said in a gruff voice as he continued to shovel pieces of cake into his mouth.

"Just alright? Vegeta, you've got to be crazy, this is so delicious! I'm already on my third plate" Goku said as he continued to stuff desserts into his mouth.

"Well Kakarot, not everyone believes in pigging out on sweets" Vegeta said as he tried to act tough, knowing full and well Goku knew he held a lot of respect for the teen.

"Videl, Vegeta is just too pig headed to say he really loves the food" Goku said with a grin as Vegeta shot him a glare.

"I'm glad you guys are enjoying them" she said with a smile as Bulma walked up to her.

"Videl, I got Gohan's expression on camera when he saw you, it's completely priceless!" she said as she looked through the pictures on her camera. "I'll show you it later, but for now I'd appreciate it if you'd stand with Gohan and take a picture together. Have to save the memories of the happy couple" she said as Videl blushed a little and Gohan set his plate down on the table.

Gohan wrapped an arm around Videl and she in turn put her arm around his waist and gave a smile to the camera. They both saw a flash and Bulma paused for a moment as she looked at the camera, "You two are going to have the best looking wedding pictures yet…and my god are your kids going to be gorgeous. One more alright; do something cute" she said as she aimed the camera at the two.

Gohan looked lost in thought for a moment and then grinned. Videl gave him a weird look as he started to bend down and next thing she knew Gohan was picking her up bridal style with a big grin on her face. Videl returned the grin and wrapped her arms around his neck as their eyes locked and they smiled to each other.

"Perfect! Gohan you're a genius….it's like a peek into the future" Bulma said with a grin as the two teens blushed and she walked off to go and take more pictures of everyone at the party.

Gohan put Videl gently back on the ground and took a step back to give her some room.

"So you were surprised when you saw me eh?" she asked in a joking tone as she nudged him with her elbow lightly.

"I just…I can't get over the transformation. Don't get me wrong, I've always thought you were incredibly beautiful, but wow. My dad was right, you really do clean up nicely. You're so gorgeous, I honestly didn't recognize you a first. When the screen was going up I was still looking around for you and then I saw the smile on your face and I knew it was you; I'd recognize that smile anywhere" Gohan said as he looked his girlfriend up and down.

"You're absolutely beautiful" he said as he leaned in and pecked her cheek.

"You clean up pretty nicely yourself" she said as she stepped back and eyed him in his suit.

Gohan blushed at the compliment, "You sang really well, what made you decide to sing out loud?" he asked quickly changing the subject.

"I was pretty nervous, but Bulma had heard me singing while I was cleaning the other day and she recorded me singing and then played it back for me. I never really knew what I had sounded like and when I heard it I didn't think it was half bad. I figured this was a step in the right direction to try and build up my confidence" she explained.

"How do you think you look?" Gohan asked, he was curious to see what she thought of her new dressed up look.

"I honestly didn't recognize myself when I first looked in the mirror after getting my hair done, let alone my makeup. Then with the dress…I mean come on, when's the last time I've worn something this form fitting and shown off this much cleavage?" she asked with a laugh as she pointed to her chest to emphasize her point.

Gohan blushed, "well, I'm certainly not complaining…you showed off a lot of skin in your bathing suit" he said as he tried to avert his gaze from where she was pointing to.

"That's different though, that's a bathing suit not a dress…haha and it felt weird wearing that too" she said again with a laugh.

"You didn't answer the question; what do you think about how you look?" he asked a little more firmly.

"I think….I think I look like a princess. I thought I did look pretty for once; maybe it was the change in hair style, or the makeup, but I just looked so different, that I looked pretty" she said as she averted her gaze from Gohan's.

"You always look pretty" he said as he lifted her chin up and forced her to look him in the eyes.

"I knew you'd say something to the effect of that" she said quietly with a smile.

Gohan smiled in return, "good, that means I'm finally getting through to you" he said with a laugh.

"Hey V?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah Gohan? She asked back, just as quietly.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked with a blush on his cheeks.

Videl let a small blush creep to her cheeks and nodded her head yes and then slowly closed her eyes as Gohan leaned down towards the slightly elevated girl and gently pressed his lips to her in a sweet kiss.

He slowly wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in closer as he enjoyed the freedom of kissing his girlfriend. Videl simply complied by moving closer to Gohan and wrapping her arms around his trim waist and enjoyed the sweet kiss and the moment she was caught up in.

Goku looked up from his plate of desserts and saw Gohan and Videl standing off by themselves a little further away and smiled at the sight he saw. 'He couldn't have made a better choice, she'll make a fine saiyan wife. I'm proud of you son' he thought to himself as he gently nudged his wife and motioned with his head in the direction of his son.

Chi Chi looked over and a soft smile came onto her face, "Goku, I'm so proud our boy has fallen in love" she said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Me too Chi" he said as he took another bite of a cookie. Chi Chi then lifted her head off her husband's shoulder and nudged Bulma and signalled that she wanted a picture of her son and Videl sharing their tender moment.

Gohan and Videl slowly pulled apart as the heard the familiar 'click' and saw the flash of light. Gohan still held Videl close to him but looked in the direction of the grinning adults. "You know, I'm sure you can find other ways to occupy your time then taking picture of Videl and me" Gohan said as he gave them a slightly annoyed look.

"Awh come on Gohan, be a champ. You'll thank me some day when you two are married for taking pictures of so many tender moments. Besides, I've already got a ton of pictures of Yamcha and Aaliyah making out" Bulma said as she used her thumb to point to the two adults sitting in a chair, indeed, making out.

Videl looked over in surprise as her mother sat on Yamcha's lap and made out with him and was Master Roshi sat beside them watching as he nursed a nose bleed.

"Wow" Gohan said as he looked over at the two adults as well.

"Hey Yamcha, let's keep it PG; there's kids in here" Krillin yelled causing the two adults to pull apart and blush heavily as they realized that they had been caught. Everyone laughed as the two adults attempted to explain their selves with pathetic excuses and then gradually left the newly formed couple alone.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

"This is it; this is the night that that little bitch is going to get it" Hercule muttered to himself as he sat in a large chair with a glass beer in his hands.

"They looked like they were setting up for a party; it's the perfect time to break in and expose her for the horrible person she is" he continued to mutter angrily.

He grunted and threw his beer angrily against the wall as he stood up and went to the china hutch and unlocked the drawer. He grabbed its contents in his hand and stroked it gently, "she will pay, she will pay in deed" he said as he started to laugh in a dark tone.

~*~Meanwhile~*~

It had been a little over an hour since the party began and it was still going strong. Everyone had been on the dance floor dancing to fast pace and slow songs and enjoying every minute of it.

Gohan and Videl pulled apart after they danced together for a slow song. "Hey v, would you excuse me for a few minutes?" Gohan asked as he earned a puzzled look from Videl.

"Sure Gohan, what for?" she asked with confusion in her voice.

"Bathroom?" he offered as he smiled and slowly walked away leaving a confused Videl standing on the dance floor.

Gohan quickly made his way through the crowd and went and tapped Bulma on her shoulder gently and nodded as Bulma nodded back and walked off with Gohan following behind her.

Videl walked over to stand with Goku and Chi Chi as Gohan went off to do whatever it was he was doing.

"Videl how have you not broken your ankle on those shoes yet?" Goku asked as he stared at the high, skinny heel on her shoes.

"well now you've jinxed me Goku, if I break it I'm blaming you" she said with a laugh then continued on, "I'm a little surprised at how well I'm managing them myself " she said with a laugh.

"I don't think I'll ever understand women" Goku said as he marvelled at how high the heel was and scratched the back of his head.

"Are those not uncomfortable?" Goten asked as he looked at her dress shoes.

"I can't see how they wouldn't be…it's like balancing on a stick" Goku said as he marvelled at the height of the shoe.

"They're not too bad; one of the girls put gel innersoles in them so they definitely help. It gets uncomfortable after long periods of time, bothers my knees and such" she said as she grabbed Goku's arm to steady herself and then she lifted her foot to take her shoe off to show just how big her heels really were.

"You are a girl of many, many talents" Goku said as he stared at the shoe and thought about how well she managed to walk in them.

Videl simply laughed and then put her bare foot on the ground. As she put her foot down Goku quickly grabbed her with his hand and helped her back up to her elevated height. "What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh as she gave Goku a weird look.

"I'm helping you? Weren't you falling?" he asked as he still kept a hold on her arm.

"No…I was just putting my foot down" she said with a laugh as he let go of her arm slowly and put her foot down on the ground, thus taking away any added height she previously had with her high heel on.

"Wow, I knew you were short, but that's crazy…haha I thought you were falling down but you were actually just going back to your normal height" he said as he laugh as Videl pretended to look offended.

"Hey…we short people have feelings too" she said with a laugh as Goku continued to laugh as he realized just how short she really was.

"Wait till I tell Gohan about this" Goku said as he continued to playfully make fun of Videl.

Before Videl could respond they heard the sound of a piano playing loudly through the speakers as the light focused on the stage quickly revealing a figure with a hat on.

_**You're a falling star; you're the getaway car.  
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.**_

Videl stood beside Goku speechless, "…is that Gohan?" she asked as she watched the figure continue to sing surprisingly well.

_**And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.  
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.  
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.  
Cause you can see it when I look at you.**_

Gohan then threw his hat at the crowd as he continued to do a very good impression of Michael Buble and enjoyed the surprised looks he was getting. As he continued to sing he slowly started to walk off the stage and make his way towards Videl.

"Gohan can sing?" she questioned out loud as she watched her boyfriend sing, surprisingly well. She gave him a smile as he walked towards her with the wireless mic in his hands.

Gohan smiled back at her as he continued to sing. He then grabbed her hand and spun her around so his arm was wrapped around her as he sang;

_**And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,  
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.  
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,  
And you know that's what our love can do.**_

As he took a brief pause before singing the lyrics he kissed her cheek and enjoyed her surprise look. He continued to sing the rest of the song and made his way back up to the stage as he finished the last few lyrics of the song.

_**You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.  
You're every song, and I sing along.  
'Cause you're my everything.  
Yeah, yeah**_

As he finished he hung the mic back up and enjoyed the applause he was receiving. "Thank you, thank you, I'm here till next Tuesday" he said in a joking manor as he bowed respectfully to the crowd in front of him.

"I…had no idea Gohan could sing" Videl said in a flabbergasted tone of voice.

"I knew he could always carry a tune; he used to sing Goten to sleep…but he could never sing that well…that's astounding" Chi Chi said, just as surprised as Videl at how well her son sang the song.

Gohan grinned as he approached his family and his girlfriend.

"I didn't know you could sing Gohan" Videl said as she gave him a smile.

"I never used to be that good, Bulma gave me this thing to 'train my voice' per say. So really, I can only do Michael Buble well, everything else I suck at" he said with a laugh, enjoying the surprised looked he was receiving.

"I'm impressed son, very well done" Goku said as he slapped his son on the back lightly and grabbed his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Thank dad" Gohan said, simply enjoying the compliments he was receiving.

Bulma climbed up onto the stage and grabbed the mic, "Come on guys, this is a party…let's dance!" she said as she blared the music, inviting everyone to start dancing.

The night continued to roll on and everyone was having a blast celebrating the approach of the New Year. It was now 11:30 at night, in that time frame, Goku and Krillin had gone up and sang 'I will survive' again, Master Roshi sang 'I like big butts', and Chi Chi had done her version of 'lady marmalade'. While everyone had taken their turn at karaoke everyone danced in the process enjoying both the fast and the slow songs.

Gohan had danced a slow dance with his mom, and while he was doing that Goku danced with Videl. The Videl danced with Goten and caused him to blush as she gave him a kiss on the cheek afterwards.

Gohan went and got drinks for he and Videl and then came back and handed a glass to her. Videl gave Gohan a smile as she took the glass from Gohan, "Thanks Gohan. I have to tell you…it was nice to have a dance with someone who is such a father figured, I'm jealous I've never had that with my father" she said as a sad look came onto her features.

"Your dad doesn't deserve to have a daughter like you; if I had a daughter that was like you I'd do nothing but beam pride and happiness" he said as Videl blushed as she thought back to the dream where she and Gohan had a baby daughter together.

"Why the blush V?" Gohan asked, confused by Videl's actions.

Before Videl could explain why she blushed to Gohan, Bulma had approached then and interrupted their conversation.

"So Videl, are you going to sing again? I think you should" Bulma said as she came up to the teen as she drank a drink beside Gohan.

"Yea V, go up there again, you were great" Gohan said as he watched her sip her beachcomber drink (**Author's note: for those of you who don't know what that is, it's orange juice, cranberry juice and a big of Sprite mixed in. K, back to the story!*)

"Alright, I will" she said confidently as she handed her drink over to Gohan and walked up on the stage with Bulma. She said something to Bulma and then walked up to the middle of the stage.

As a soft, slow piano played a tune Videl spoke, "this is a song that helped me get through rough times, and it gave me hope that something better was going to come along. That something better did come along when I met Gohan and all of you; I can't thank you enough for your hospitality and your generosity, it's greatly appreciated" she said as she took a deep breath and then began to sing.

_**Young girl don**__**'**__**t cry  
I**__**'**__**ll be right here when your world starts to fall  
Young girl it**__**'**__**s alright  
Your tears will dry, you**__**'**__**ll soon be free to fly**_

Everyone was silent as Videl sang the lyrics; they were all intent on hearing the message in the song.

_**Young girl don**__**'**__**t hide  
You**__**'**__**ll never change if you just run away  
Young girl just hold tight  
Soon you**__**'**__**re gonna see your brighter day**_

"This…is so sad" Chi Chi said in a sad tone as she listened intently and wrapped her arms around Goku's waist as he wrapped an arm around her as she continued to listen.

_**Now in a world where innocence is quickly claimed  
It**__**'**__**s so hard to stand your ground when you**__**'**__**re so afraid  
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold  
When you look outside look inside to your soul**_

Videl sang confidently and as she continued on singing the song she felt herself becoming more and more involved in it, allowing her voice to change pitch when needed to emphasize the words that she was singing. She took a deep breath as she raised her voice a little and sang the last line on the song.

_**Young girl don**__**'**__**t cry I**__**'**__**ll be right here when your world starts to fall**_

"Thank you" she said quietly into the mic as she looked out at the crowd of her friends. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Bulma was wiping a tear from her eyes and Chi Chi was holding a tissue up to her eyes.

It was silent for a moment and then everyone began to clap and cheer for her as she walked off the stage. She walked back over towards where Gohan was and before she could say anything Chi Chi jumped her and hugged her tightly.

"You are not going anywhere; you stay with us. We love you and we want you to be with us, you're safe now" Chi Chi said in a sad tone of voice as she hugged Videl tightly.

Videl smiled at the older woman, "Thank you Chi Chi" she said as she returned the hug. "I love being with you guys, I can't remember the last time I was this happy, or felt as though anyone cared about me" she said quietly to the older woman.

Chi Chi pulled away for a moment as she wiped a tear away from her eyes. "I care about you" she said as she pointed to herself, "Goku, Goten, Gohan especially care deeply about you" she said as she pointed to each of them to emphasize her point. "That ass against the wall there even cares about you" she said as she pointed her finger at Vegeta.

Videl smiled as a stray tear fell down her cheek, "I care about all of you guys too" she said as the woman once again embraced her in a hug.

"You three get over here and prove you care about her" Chi Chi ordered as she stared at her boys and husband. All three complied and smothered Videl in a group hug.

Videl smiled to herself, 'this is a little over the top…but I love it' she thought to herself as she enjoyed being hugged by the family of four.

"Thanks guys" she said with a smile as everyone pulled away from the hug slowly. "You guys are the best thing that could have happened to me" she said with a bigger smile; enjoying all the love she was receiving.

"Hey guys, it's ten minutes till midnight" Trunks said as he interrupted the tender moment.

"What's so special about midnight?" Goten asked as he scratched his head and looked up at his parents.

"Midnight is the official beginning of a brand new year" Gohan said, informing his little brother.

"And, you get to kiss someone at midnight" Goku said with a wink as Gohan blushed a little.

"Ew, why would someone celebrate the new year by kissing someone?" Trunks asked as he made a slightly disgusted face.

"I'm not too sure why it works like that…it's just tradition" Goku said.

"Alright everyone, go and grab a drink, it's only a few more minutes till midnight so let's make sure we ring it in properly!" Bulma said with the mic as she motioned for everyone to go towards the refreshment table.

Drinks of all sorts were passed out; a few beers, glasses of wine, juice, and for Piccolo just water.

"Alright, we've now officially got 2 minutes till midnight" Bulma said out loud as she turned on the screen, showing a few different channels that were showing all forms of celebrations that were occurring in the country.

"This is so exciting" Videl said, drawing the attention of Gohan, "last New Year's, my dad had punched me in the face and I sat in my room with my door locked" she said in a sad tone of voice and looked down.

"This will be one to remember, I'm sure" Gohan said as he wrapped his arm around Videl's shoulder.

"Alright, guys…let's begin the countdown!" Bulma said excitedly as everyone in the room started to count down out loud.

"10....9….8….7….6….5….4….3….2….1….HAPPY NEW YEAR!!" everyone yelled simultaneously as streamers were released from a large ball attached to the ceiling.

Videl smiled and was about to say 'happy new year' to Gohan but before she could say something Gohan cupped her cheeks and quickly pulled her in for a kiss. Videl had been caught off guard but quickly closed her eyes and relaxed as she enjoyed the kiss.

While all the couples were sharing their New Year kiss, Trunks and Goten were in charge of taking pictures of it. In total they snapped a picture of Goku and Chi Chi, Gohan and Videl, Bulma and Vegeta, and Aaliyah and Yamcha.

Gohan and Videl pulled away from each other slowly, both had a big grin in their faces, "I could get used to this" Gohan said as he pressed his forehead against Videl's and smiled to her.

"I couldn't agree more" Videl said quietly as she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Where's Goten?' Videl asked as she looked around the room.

"I think he's taking pictures of people, why do you ask" Gohan asked in a slightly confused tone of voice.

"Goten deserves one too" she said with a wink. She called Goten over and he came quickly.

"What is it Videl?" he asked curiously. Videl leaned down and picked him up and motioned for Trunks to come over.

Videl gave Goten a smile, "close your eyes squirt" she said as he complied and closed his eyes. Videl then leaned forward and gave Goten a quick little kiss. Goten immediately blushed a deep red colour and seemed confused as to how to react. He all of a sudden got very shy and wouldn't make eye contact with Videl.

"That was too cute" Chi Chi said as she watched what took place and laughed a little at her youngest son's reaction.

"Ha, you got kissed by a girl" Trunks yelled as he pointed his finger and laughed at his best friend. But just as he did that Bulma came up and picked him up and gave him a big kiss, effectively shutting him up and embarrassing him. Trunks was lucky enough that his best friend still had his camera and got the picture of the 8 year old getting kissed by his mom.

To celebrate the New Year a slow song was played and everyone paired up and danced to the song.

Videl sighed as she leaned her head on Gohan's chest and Gohan responded by holding her a little closer. Videl lifted her head up from his chest and pressed her chin into his chest, "this has been such an awesome night; you look so handsome", she said with a smile as he returned the smile.

"I've enjoyed this night as well, especially since it's been spent with you. And thank you, you're looking quite beautiful yourself" he said with a wink as he leaned down and gave her a kiss, starting to feel more comfortable about the little public displays of affection.

"I swear, I don't want this night to end" she mumbled into his chest as she inhaled deeply, simply enjoying the smell of his clothing.

Bulma leaned her head against Vegeta, "I'm so glad this night is going so smoothly" She said quietly as she enjoyed Vegeta holding her closely.

"I don't know if it's going to last, I've got a bad feeling" he said quietly to his wife.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she raised her head to meet his eyes.

"I'm not sure…I just have a bad feeling….I'm going to talk to Kakarot and see if he senses it too or if I'm just being paranoid" he mumbled as he looked around the room and made sure that neither Gohan or Videl was able to hear their conversation.

"You're so cute when you're being protective; I love this side of you" she said as she rested her head against him and wrapped her arms around him a little more.

Vegeta hadn't answered and then Bulma looked back up at him, "if something bad is going to happen…please make sure she doesn't get hurt…she really does go well with our group" Bulma said.

"I know she does; I don't think I'd be the one protecting her, Kakarot's boy would probably kill whoever tried to hurt that girl" he said as he continued to slow dance with his wife. A few minutes later the song ended, "I'm going to talk to Kakarot" he whispered as Bulma nodded and he walked away.

Vegeta walked over to Goku and pulled him away from Chi Chi, earning him a dirty look from Chi Chi.

"What's going on Vegeta?" Goku asked in a slightly confused tone of voice.

"Do you feel like something bad is going to happen?" he asked as he watched Goku take on a concentrated look.

"You're right…something bad is definitely going to happen; we better keep our eyes peeled and make sure Videl doesn't get hurt" Goku said as his face contoured into a look of seriousness. The two then parted and kept quiet about their conversation but kept looking around the room for any suspicious behaviour.

Goku excused himself saying he was going to the bathroom and took a look around. He browsed a few rooms and noticed that a few rooms had windows open and grew suspicious. He closed the windows and closed his eyes as he tried to sense Hercule's energy signal. 'Damn, I guess Vegeta was right, we've got to watch out for this creeper. Poor girl, I hope she'll be alright' Goku thought to himself as he started to walk back to the ball room.

Gohan and Videl sat at a table and watched the pictures from the past year play over the screen on top of the stage. "You know, you were right…Bulma got a heck of a lot of pictures of us that we didn't know about…take that one for instance" Videl said as she pointed to a picture of her and Gohan in the kitchen while they were baking, exchanging pound cake through a kiss.

"I told you, she's a real sneaky one sometimes" Gohan said with a laugh as he watched the pictures play on the screen. He blushed at the next picture that came on the screen; "wow" was all he could say as he stared at the picture.

On the screen was a picture of Videl in her bikini from the day before when she had just taken her hair out of the bun and pouted her lips to look seductive so she could throw Master Roshi into the pool.

"I…can't believe she got a picture of that!" Videl exclaimed as she blushed at the seductive face she was making; her eyes were slightly narrowed and her lips were pouty.

"I gotta tell you Videl…you could be a friggin model with that face" Gohan said with a blush as he stared at the seductive picture of his girlfriend. "I definitely want a copy of that one" he said with a laugh as Videl blushed some more.

They continued to watch pictures of everyone flash on the screen and then a picture of the two of them hugging came up, both of them had a grin plastered on their faces. "I love your smile" Gohan said as he smiled at the large projection. "And holy crap…we really do make a really good looking couple" he said with a laugh.

"We do indeed Gohan; we are a damn good looking couple" she said with a smile as she watched the pictures continue to flip through, "Awh, that one of you and Goten is so cute" she said as she looked at a picture of the two brothers playing. The two continued to sit at their table and talk about pictures that had been taken unbeknownst to them.

The night continued on and everyone continued to party. There were even more karaoke songs going on; Aaliyah sang 'that don't impress me much', Gohan sang 'save the last dance for me', Yamcha sang 'do you think I'm sexy'. As Yamcha was getting off the stage Bulma went up quickly and programmed the computer to play a fast pace beat loudly and then started to sing the words.

_**I wanna hold em' like they do in texas, please  
Fold em' let em' hit me, raise it baby, stay with me  
Luck and intuition play the cards with spades to start  
And after he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart**_

Videl and Gohan stood wide eyed as they watched Bulma perform the song. "Do…you think she understands the meaning of this song?" Videl asked with curiosity.

"I think a better question is does Vegeta understand it" Gohan replied with a laugh as he watched his close family friend sing the song by Lady Gaga.

_**I wanna roll with him a hard pair we will be  
A little gambling is fun when you're with me  
Russian roulette is not the same without a gun  
And baby when it's love, if it's not rough it isn't fun**_

"Hey…Gohan is this song about…what I think it's about?" Goku asked with a whisper as he watched Bulma make a fake gun with her finger as she sang the part about Russian roulette.

"Ha…that depends what you think it's about dad. But I'm not too sure he she understands what the song is about" Gohan said with a laugh as he watched Bulma really get into the song and dance along with them.

_**I won't tell you that I love you  
Kiss or hug you  
Cause I'm bluffin' with my muffin  
I'm not lying  
I'm just stunnin'  
With my love-glue-gunning**_

"Dad, what is love glue….and why is it gunning?" Goten asked as he pulled on Goku's pant leg as he listened to Bulma sing.

"I wonder what she means by bluffin' with her muffin" Chi Chi wondered out loud as her face took on a look of concentration.

Goku looked over at Gohan and grinned, excited that he knew the answer before his wife did for once. "Chi, I think that's something you'll have to ask her" Goku said as Gohan and Videl joined him in a laugh.

Bulma finished singing the song and took a bow as everyone clapped for her and whistled.

"Alright, Videl, you agreed to sing three songs…now get up here and sing your last song! We want something up beat this time, no more sad things. You'll make Chi Chi cry again" Bulma said as she stood on the middle of the stage.

"Haha alright, I guess I could go again" she said with a laugh as she pulled away from Gohan and made her way up onto the stage. Videl whispered something to Bulma and she nodded then started hitting keys onto her computer then a loud upbeat tune started to play through the speakers as Videl grabbed the mic and started to sing.

_**You sucked me in and played my mind  
Just like a toy you would crank and wind  
Baby, I would give till you wore it out  
You left me lying in a pool of doubt  
If you**__**'**__**re still thinkin**__**'**__** you**__**'**__**re the daddy Mac  
You should**__**'**__**ve known better but you didn**__**'**__**t and I can**__**'**__**t go back**_

"I like that she's singing an inspirational song now" Chi Chi whispered to Gohan as he smiled and watched his girlfriend sing confidently on the stage.

"I think I'm gladder that she's got the confidence to sing up on the stage" he said as he continued to watch her intently.

"Sweetie, you've had such a positive impact on her, I'm really happy that you've managed to help her out" She said as she rubbed her sons back and then went back to listening to his girlfriend sing.

_**Wish I knew then what I know now  
You held all the cards and sold me out  
Baby, shame on you if you fooled me once,  
Shame on me if you fooled me twice  
You**__**'**__**ve been a pretty hard case to crack  
I should**__**'**__**ve known better but I didn**__**'**__**t and I can**__**'**__**t go back**_

Everyone cheered as Videl gained confidence and started moving her body with the music and using her hands to emphasize the words she was singing.

_**Oooh, life goes on, and it**__**'**__**s only gonna make me strong  
Its a fact, once you get on board say goodbye cuz you can**__**'**__**t go back  
Oooh, it**__**'**__**s a fight, and I really wanna get it right  
Where I**__**'**__**m-**_

"You little bitch!" Hercule screamed as he kicked the large doors open and cut Videl off in mid sentence as she was singing. Before anyone could react they saw Hercule life up a gun and point it at Videl, "I'm ending this now you pathetic excuse of a human being" and then a loud bang erupted as a bullet was launched straight towards Videl.

Videl paled as she saw her father standing there and before she could utter a word a loud noise erupted from the barrel of his gun.

Alright, that's the end of chapter 13!!! I hope you all enjoy it and I do please encourage people to give reviews!!! I absolutely love to hear what you all have to say and I love getting feedback. So please do review, the more reviews I get the sooner I know people want to read the next chapter!


	14. The Big Encounter

Hey guys here is the next chapter, I do hope you enjoy it; I know you might be thinking that this is the end of my story, but you're wrong, I still have more ideas that I want to bring to life with my writings. So until then all I can say is that I hope you enjoy this chapter and please give me feedback.

Read and review please!!!!

Vickie: I apologize for the wait, I've been working every day the past few weeks and finding time to write has been difficult. I'm trying to work as many hours as I can, as any of you who are from Canada might know, LCBO might be going on strike so I've gotta get money when I can! But I thank you for your patience and loyalty and I do hope that you enjoy this chapter and I hope I get another review from you soon!

Jrik23: I know in the series Videl is stronger than her father, but she doesn't know that, so that's the fact I'm building off of that she doesn't know that she's stronger. I've explained reasons for her not fighting back per say, but speaking from personal experience, even if you are faster or stronger then the abuser you just…don't fight it after awhile. I will however develop on her reasons for not fighting back.

**Chapter 14: The big encounter**

"Talking"  
'Thinking'

Videl visibly paled as she heard her father yell and before she or anyone else for that matter, could react she heard a noise erupt from the barrel of her father's gun, then a few seconds later heard another bulled being fired off.

'The dream…I'm going to die' she thought to herself as she quickly raised her arms in front of her head to pathetically attempt to protect herself from the two bullets.

Before she could think another thought she felt hot lead hitting the side of her forearm and then squeezed her eyes shut waiting for the next bullet to hit her.

Videl opened an eye as the other bullet never struck her, just the first one. She felt a warm wave of air blowing against her gently and then opened both eyes as she clutched her bleeding arm. She screamed and fell back as she saw Gohan's hand mere centimetres in front of her face.

She tried to formulate words but nothing came out, and she couldn't think straight with the pain from her arm. She focused her eyes and looked up and saw a super saiyan Gohan standing in front of her. She couldn't see his face, but she was pretty sure it had a pretty angry expression on it.

Everyone in the room gasped as they processed what had just happened. Up on the stage was Videl, holding her bleeding forearm, and very powered up Gohan standing in front of her with his hand up where her face had been.

Videl sat on the ground in complete shock as she realized that the bullet that Gohan had just caught would have gotten her right between the eyes, definitely a kill shot.

"I believe this belongs to you" an angry Gohan growled out as he threw the bullet back in Hercule's direction and watched it just miss his head by mere centimetres.

"You stupid kid, why are you protecting her?" Hercule yelled as he took a step forward towards Gohan. "That…that thing up there is nothing but a stupid, fat ass, piece of shit that is good for absolutely nothing and hasn't accomplished a damn thing in her life" he spat out angrily as he watched some blond hair kid appear out of nowhere and stop his kill shot.

"What did you call her?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes and allowed his emotions to rule his power, quickly increasing with every word Hercule said.

"A stupid, fat ass piece of shit" Hercule said as he straightened himself up and crossed his arms. "Did I stutter?" he asked rudely.

Videl stood back up as she listened to the exchange between the two men. She listened to the words her dad had said and felt lower then a worm in the ground. She stepped forward, wincing as she moved her arm, she placed her hand on Gohans warm to the touch arm "Gohan….don't worry about it, there's no point in-" but before she could finished her sentence Gohan cut her off.

"How dare…you talk about Videl like that" he said as he started walking towards him and jumping off the stage.

"She's nothing but a whore who you've clearly got into the habit of paying" Hercule said in a smug tone of voice as he watched the pissed off Gohan slowly make his way towards him.

"She's not a whore" Gohan said as his green eyes narrowed more and he spoke in an incredibly angry tone of voice.

"Then what's she good for kid? What do you 'see' in her" Hercule retorted as he stepped back, realizing just how angry Gohan was.

"That…that woman up there is the sweetest person I've ever met. She's strong, she's beautiful, talented and could be confident if it weren't for you" Gohan said as he walked closer to Hercule. "Do you take pride in beating someone smaller then you? Does it make you feel like a big man, to tell someone so frail looking that she's a fat, ugly bitch? Do you feel good continuously injuring her, and punishing her to the point where she's running a high fever? Feel good, 'champ'" he asked as he stood a few feet in front of Hercule.

"She deserves everything she's gotten, you don't know her like I do, and she's clearly gotten you to believe that she's something better then she is. She's a fat ass whore" Hercule spat out, venom dripping off his voice as he glared at his daughter who was now walking off the stage.

"You stupid ass, how dare you do that to her" Chi Chi yelled as she stepped forward only to Have Goku's hand pull her back towards her.

"Shut up" Hercule said as he pointed the gun at Chi Chi and fired, only to have Goku standing in the way of the shot. This was not a good idea on Hercule's part, getting two, very strong saiyans angry; definitely not too smart.

"Hercule, my wife, as does everyone else in this room, cares about the safety of Videl. If you try and fire a gun at my wife I promise you, I'll shove that gun so far up your ass that you'll be sneezing gun powder" Goku said as he made sure that Chi Chi was completely safe behind him.

Trunks and Goten had been standing off by themselves as they watched the events unfold, "Goten, I've never heard your dad speak like that, he looks pretty mad" Trunks whispered as he looked over at his best friend who was glaring daggers at Hercule. "Your brother looks pretty angry too….Goten are you alright?" He asked as he realized just how angry Goten looked.

"I have to help her…I said I would help protect her" Goten said quietly as he looked around, trying to figure out something he could do to help.

"Dad…this is between me and you" Videl said as she stepped in front of Gohan and took in a deep breath as she tried to compose herself and not allow Hercule's remarks to get to her.

Hercule gave Videl a dirty look as she started to speak, "I can't even call you a father…you're a horrible man. All these years, I believe it was normal for a father to beat his daughter, to bruise her, hit her to the point where she's bloody and swollen and for years, I believed that I deserved it. But these wonderful people have shown me, that I'm so much better than that, that I do deserve happiness, and not to have some fake hero beat me to exert his own self confidence" she said as she stood in front of her.

Hercule let a growl erupt from his lips as he lifted his gun again and aimed it at Videl. Before he could shoot Gohan fazed in front of him. "No more shooting her" he spat out angrily as he bent the gun in the middle.

Videl gave a small smile to Gohan as she once again stepped in front of him and watched as he stepped back, keeping a watchful and angry eye on the whole situation.

Hercule growled again as he pulled his arm back and balled his hand into a fist, but before he could punch he felt something grab his hand and squeeze it to the point where a few loud cracks were heard. Hercule looked behind him and saw that Vegeta had grabbed his hand before he could punch Videl with it and had broken a few fingers he had squeezed it so hard.

"A true man does not need to beat some skinny little girl to prove his power" Vegeta said as he let go of Hercule hand and watched as he attempted to nurse it.

Hercule shot a dirty look to Videl, "You are nothing, you hear me? You don't deserve to be happy; you deserve to be six feet under with that piece of shit mother of yours. You hear me? Want to know what you are? You're a fat ass ugly bitch, this idiot here has clearly fallen for you because of the low rates you charge to whore yourself to him; you're better off dead you untalented worthless excuse of a human" he spat angrily as he held his damaged hand close to him.

Videl could feel her eyes watering, she was desperately trying to not listen to the comments he was saying, but she couldn't help but wonder if he was right. A father is someone who's supposed to love you and have your best interest in mind…so if he's saying it, maybe he has her best interest in mind, in some distorted way. She lowered her head as she felt tears slowly fall from her eyes.

"That's enough" Gohan yelled angrily as he gently moved Videl so he was standing in front of Hercule.

"That bitch has no respect for me, I'm a true hero to this world" Hercule said as he attempted to defend himself.

"I'm pretty sure that I'm the hero of this world, you are just some pig headed ass who claimed credit for my accomplishment" Gohan said angrily as Hercule paled a little as he realized just who this kid was.

"I don't care about your stories you scrawny ass, I'm taking that…that thing I call a daughter back home" Hercule said as he tried to move past Gohan only to have Gohan stand in his way.

"You are not taking her anywhere, and you're not touching her" Gohan said as he glared down at Hercule.

He glared at Videl, "Look at her, she's even dressed like a fat ass whore; she's coming home so I can help her become a better person" Hercule said as he once again tried to move past Gohan, but to no avail. He looked around at Videl and now saw a kid standing in front of her with his arms out and blond hair moving gently as his energy flowed freely.

"You have to go through me before you can get to her" Goten said as he stood in front of Videl.

"This is what you've been reduced too? Some puny moron protecting you, wow…you really are worthless" Hercule said with a laugh.

"Well, before you can even attempt to go through him, you have to go through me" Gohan said with venom in his voice, "And quite frankly I'd rather see you die then see the woman I love have to suffer another minute at your hands".

Videl was taken aback by Gohans words, 'did…he just say he loved me?' she thought to herself as she watched Gohan protect her from her father. She then looked down and saw Goten standing in front of her, also powered up in super saiyan mode.

Goten turned around and his face contorted to one of concern, "Videl, you're bleeding, are you alright?" Goten asked as he looked at her arm. Before Videl could answer him he started pulling wads of napkins out from his pockets and put them all together and put them on Videl's arm where she was bleeding. She winced in pain a little as Goten held the large mound of napkins tightly onto Videl's arm. All she could do was marvel at how this little boy had responded to her bleeding.

Gohan raised an eyebrow as he heard the exchange going on behind him and turned his head slightly. "Goten, you're in charge of making sure she's alright until I can get rid of this moron" Gohan said as his brother saluted him and took on a concentrated look as he was determined to protect Videl while his big brother was busy.

"You don't love her you stupid kid, you lust her" Hercule said as he seemed slightly amused that this kid had convinced himself that he 'loved' his daughter. "She's never accomplished anything in her life. Everything she's attempted she's failed at; dancing, hockey, skating, even martial arts; as time went by she got lazier and lazier and turned into that fat thing standing behind you in the harlots costume" Hercule said as he again, belittled Videl in front of the whole Z-gang.

"She is not fat!" Gohan screamed as he let his power increase once again blowing a strong wind around him and knocked Hercule back.

"I have worked so hard, to stop her from going down this spiral that you've created. This woman here, this beautiful person, is in no way shape or form the large being you make her out to be. It's your fault she has such a distorted view of herself, it's your fault she's bee teetering on the edge of an eating disorder, and I won't allow for it anymore" He said as he took more steps towards Hercule.

"I love Videl more than anything this universe could offer. She's a beautiful person, both inside and out. I have seen her accomplish more things in the past month then some people have in their whole lives and I'm' sure she will only continue to impress me and everyone else around her" He said as he continued to defend her.

Hercule shot a glare towards Gohan as he listened to him attempt to defend his daughter's character. "You're a fool kid, a damn fool. She needs punishment and she needs exercise" he said attempting to defend himself.

"No one deserves physical punishment for something that wasn't even wrong…and now you're going to find out what it feels like to have physical punishment" Gohan said as he stepped forward and reached his arm out.

Chi Chi clung onto Goku tightly, the fact that she had been so close to death herself had petrified her and now she feared the safety of Videl.

Gohan reached his hand out and in one quick movement picked Hercule up from the ground by wrapping his fingers around his throat. Gohan glared deeply at him as he cut the man's air supply off and let him hang from his arm, completely defenceless.

"You hurt the woman I love, you die" Gohan said angrily as he lifted his other hand and started to form a ball of energy in it and aim it towards Hercule's face.

Videl watched the scene and was completely touched that Gohan was so willing and eager to protect her. Even though she hated her father more than anything…she didn't want him killed, that would make her as bad as him.

As Gohan was about to release the energy right into Hercule's face Videl spoke up.

"Gohan, don't do it" she said much to the surprise of everyone in the room. Gohan looked surprised for a moment but continued on as he was already.

"Gohan…please let him go" Videl said as she stepped forward, Goten still close by her side determined to protect her at all costs.

Gohan gritted his teeth; it took everything he had to not blast him into the afterlife right then and there, but complied with Videl and dropped him hard onto the floor.

"What the hell are you doing? Kill the ass" Vegeta yelled as he stood in front of Bulma, protecting her from possibility of harm.

Gohan turned and gave Videl a look that commanded an explanation. Videl stepped forward and stood in front of her father as he gasped for air on the ground in front of her. "I do not love you, nor do I like you" she said as she stared angrily at Hercule, "but killing him….or wanting him dead would make me just as bad as it makes him" she said as she looked at Gohan who was clearly trying to hold back his rage.

"You came here tonight with the intent of murdering me, but I'm not as horrible as a person as you are; I want you to suffer…but unlike you I could never take a life, no matter how horrible a life it may be" she said as she continued to glare at her 'father'.

Hercule stood up again and went to take another punch at Videl only to have his hand be stopped by Gohans, and then following what Vegeta had done, broke the remaining bones in his hands. He then gave a growl as he landed a right hook right into Hercule's stomach and sent him flying into the large French doors.

Hercule slowly sat up and coughed up a little blood and then slowly got up to his feet. "I will let you live, but only because it's the wishes of this incredible person here" Gohan said as he pointed at Videl. "But I swear to God if you ever and I mean ever try and harm her in any way shape or form, you will have to go through me, and I will kill you." Gohan said angrily as he glared at Hercule.

"You'll have to go through me too" Goten said as he stepped forward with Gohan. Before Gohan could respond Goku then stepped forward in front of Videl and vowed to protect her at all costs. Then afterward Vegeta stepped forward and soon afterwards everyone else stood in front of Videl and promised they'd be there to protect her.

Videl stood in shock as the crowd of people had vowed to protect her if her father ever came near her again. Never in her life had someone, or a number of people, vowed to protect her at all costs; she had always had to fend for herself and take her beatings in silence.

Hercule looked to where his daughter had been standing; now a large group of people stood in front of her and were claiming that they'd protect her. "Why would you want to protect such a worthle-" Hercule had started to speak but Gohan quickly came and delivered a hard kick to his side, most likely cracking more than a few ribs.

Gohan stepped forward, "You try anything again, and I will kill you. I want you to go and never come back" Gohan said as he stepped forward angrily.

"Don't ever call my house again" Vegeta said angrily as he stepped forward as well.

"Don't ever come to this property and try to shove your way in through the front door again either" Goku said as he stepped forward with the other two.

Both comments from the two older men had confused Gohan, but he put that though behind him for now and concentrated on the matter at hand, that being to force Hercule out of Videl's life.

"Dad, I want you to go on living your life, and I will continue to live mine. Only now, I won't be tormented by your comments and won't be beaten daily for not doing anything wrong. Please leave" Videl said quietly as she stepped forward, allowing the blood soaked napkins to fall carelessly onto the floor.

"You won't ge-" once again Hercule was cut off in mid sentence by Gohan grabbing Hercule's throat and squeezing it.

"If you want to live, don't finish that sentence" he said in a low and angry voice. Without warning Hercule was carried out the door quickly by Gohan, who still had him by the throat.

As Gohan walked out of the ball room everyone stood in silence, no one dared say a word or make a comment with regards to the events that had just taken place moments ago.

Gohan walked to the front door, still having Hercule by the throat. He opened the door and spoke before the man passed out. "If you ever attempt anything that could harm Videl physically, mentally or emotionally, I will guarantee you will regret it by means of a slow and very painful death" He said as he then put Hercule to his feet and once again delivered a punch to his stomach and watched as he fell onto the snow.

He shot Hercule one last glare as he then closed and locked all of the doors and walked back into the silent ballroom.

As he walked into the ballroom everyone stood in silence; the crowd stared at Gohan and Gohan stared right back. His eyes softened as his eyes landed on Videl and then was filled with worry as he saw Videl's bloody arm. He walked towards Videl until he was standing in front of her and he locked eyes with hers; his eyes were filled with worry and hers were filled with shock and surprise.

"Are you alright" He asked after a few moments of silence. He gently grabbed her bloody arm and examined where it was bleeding. "I don't think it went in you…I think it may have just badly grazed you" he said as he continued to examine her arm, trying to see if the bullet went into her arm.

"Did…did you kill him?" Videl asked quietly breaking the silence.

"No, I just knocked him into the snow and told him to never come near you" Gohan said as he powered down and returned to his normal form, with softened eyes and a sweet demeanour.

Gohan gave her a soft smile as he reached up and lightly wiped tears away from Videl's face, "I'm sorry all of that took place" Gohan said quietly as he cupped her cheeks and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Thank you…for defending me" She said quietly as she tried to compose herself and stop herself from crying.

"I meant everything that was said" Gohan said quietly.

"Everything?" she questioned, he had after all referred to her several times as the woman he loves, she was more than just a little curious to see if he meant that comment, or if he was just caught up in defending her.

"Everything" he said gently as she looked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Even that…other stuff you said?" She asked meekly, trying to not be too obvious.

"Other stuff? Like about you not being fat, or you accomplishing lots, or being the beautiful person you are?" he asked, he was a little confused as to what she had actually meant by 'other stuff'.

"No, the other thing" she said quietly, feeling a blush slowly creep onto her cheeks.

"I'm not too sure what you mean…" Gohan said as he trailed off and watched his dad make a heart shape with his two hands and then it finally clicked in what she was asking.

"About you being the woman I love?" Gohan asked, mentally thanking his dad for the help as Videl averted her gaze and nodded her head slowly.

Gohan's gaze softened now as he stared at the increasingly shy Videl, "I did mean it; Videl I'm absolutely smitten by you. You are the woman I love, and you're the woman that brings light into my day no matter how I'm feeling. Videl, I love you" he said as he gently moved her face to meet his gaze.

"You do?" she whispered quietly, believing that it was almost too good to be true.

"I do" he whispered back as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips onto her soft ones and enjoyed their kiss.

Once they had pulled apart, Videl let her eyes meet Gohan's, "Gohan…I love you too" she said with a small smile as he once again leaned down and kissed her.

As they shared their kiss, they started to hear everyone clapping for them. Neither of them knew why their group was clapping for them, but neither cared.

Gohan and Videl pulled away from each other; Videl still had tears in her eyes, but had a small appreciative smile on her face. She pulled slightly away from Gohan and looked around to everyone in the ball room.

"I want to thank you all…never in my life have I had someone, let alone a large group of people who were willing to stand up for me. I really, truly appreciate it" she said as she moved to start to give each of them hugs.

She walked up to Goten and gave him a smile, "that was quick thinking with the napkins squirt, I'm impressed and I thank you for protecting me. You're my little hero" Videl said to Goten as she gave him a hug causing him to grin and blush at the same time.

She walked over to Chi Chi and embraced the older woman in a hug, "I'm sorry you got shot at Chi Chi, but I really appreciate you standing up for me" Videl said in a quiet voice as the older woman returned the hug.

"That's ok hun, with someone like Goku around, I know I'm safe" Chi Chi said in a half joking voice as Videl let go of Chi Chi and went and gave Goku a hug.

"Thank you Goku" she said quietly as she felt him return the embrace.

"Anyone that Gohan cares lots about, I care a lot about" he said jokingly as he embraced the teen who he had now come to think of as an unofficial daughter.

She gave a hug to Bulma and thanked her for standing up for her. Bulma pulled away slightly, "I'm so sorry all this happened sweetie, I really am" she said, she felt more than a little guilty knowing it was her fault that Hercule knew where she was staying.

Videl stood in front of Vegeta as he gave her a hard look and she in turn gave him a small smile. "Thank you for stopping him from hitting me" she said as she gave him a hug, surprised that he didn't push her off or complain.

Surprisingly he lifted one arm and put it on her back, "You make a formidable opponent and will be a fine saiyan wife. I don't want to endure any other women Kakarot's son would bring here if you were gone" Vegeta spoke gruffly. Videl smiled, she knew he had a soft spot for her, whether he was willing to admit it or not.

Videl finished giving everyone else in the room a hug and thanked them for standing up for her. She was about to say something quickly but Gohan interrupted her. "V, we better get your arm fixed, you appear to have lost a fair amount of blood" Gohan said in a concerned Voice as he gently lifted her arm earning a wince from Videl.

"That's right! Videl come with me, we'll get you fixed up" Chi Chi said as she pulled Bulma's arm towards Videl.

Before Videl could say anything Chi Chi and Bulma pulled her out of the room and she cast a glance back at Gohan who gave her a small smile and waved as she was pulled off to be fixed up.

As Videl left the room Gohan looked concentrated in thought for a moment.

"Hey…dad?" Gohan asked quietly, in a worrisome tone.

"Yea, what is it Gohan?" Goku replied, curious about the tone of his voice.

"If Videl wanted to, do you think…well do you think she could live with us? I mean, you're welcome to say no if you don't feel comfortable, it's just…she's kind of homeless now" Gohan said as he rubbed the back of his neck as he thought the whole situation through in his mind and realized what had just transpired.

"No" Goku said earning a surprised look from everyone who was in the room. "Just joking, of course she can live with us! I love that kid, she's like an unofficial daughter to me" Goku said as he slapped Gohan's back gently to try and get him to relax.

"Thanks dad" Gohan said with a smile, hoping that Videl would accept his offer of his house to now be hers. Gohan's thought back to what was previously said by his father and Vegeta and decided to ask about it now. "Hey dad, what did you mean by done come on the property or call the house again, when did he do that?" Gohan asked as he arched an eyebrow.

"Well… I was asked not to say anything, but you've got to promise not to get mad" Goku said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"So long as he's not going to come near her again, I promise I won't get upset" Gohan said as he gave his father an intrigued look.

"Well, a few days ago Hercule had called and Bulma was working in her lab and answered and accidently and admitted that Videl was staying here" Goku said earning a surprised look from Gohan. "But she immediately came to Vegeta and I and asked us to watch over her because she felt so guilty and was worried about her safety" Goku said frantically waving his hands to try and gear Gohan away from letting his temper flare up.

"Why wouldn't she have told me?" Gohan asked in a slightly angry tone of voice.

"She said she could see that you were clearly worried about her and she felt that you had made a lot of progress in helping her…she just didn't want you to worry and stress yourself out more when you two were finally starting to be happy" Goku explained as he watched the angry leave Gohan's face.

"So he called the house and tried to break in?" Gohan asked as he relaxed a little at the explanation.

"He called a few times, Kakarot had him trying to shove his way through the front door and I heard her scream yesterday and came to the conclusion that he had tried to take her yesterday while she was drugged up on medication" Vegeta said earning a surprised expression from Gohan.

"What made you come to that conclusion Vegeta?" Gohan asked as he raised an eyebrow in questioning again.

"When I heard her scream, her balcony doors were open and she had a hand print on her arm, not to mention that she was in the middle of her bedroom on the floor. I told her to go back to bed but she could barely lift herself off the floor" Vegeta explained in a nonchalant tone of voice.

"Why wouldn't she have told me about this?" Gohan questioned out loud in confusion.

"As I said, she was pretty doped up from the medication and I told her she was hallucinating. She believed it" he replied.

"Ha, she believed it because she felt she had to be hallucinating because Vegeta was being so nice to her" Goku said, earning a glare from Vegeta, causing Goku to grin wider.

"Well…thank you for looking over her, but next time if this happens could someone please keep me in the loop?" Gohan asked.

Before he could get a reply Aaliyah caught him off guard with a big hug, tears brimming in her blue eyes.

"Gohan, thank you so much, I knew you'd take care of her" she said as she hugged her daughter's boyfriend tightly. "I knew she'd be safe with you" she said as she pulled back and gave him a smile.

"I'm happy to protect her Aaliyah" Gohan said with a small smile as he finished returning the hug. "I will protect her for as long as I need to".

"I knew right from the moment I met you that you and her were destined to be together. Thank you so much for everything you've done for her; you're a real hero" She said as she straightened Gohan's tie after messing it up.

"It's my pleasure" Gohan said bashfully as he continued to receive praise for what had just transpired.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

Videl winced as Bulma poured peroxide on her arm to clean out where the bullet had grazed her. "I can't believe that man shot at his own daughter" Chi Chi said as she paced the floor in her heels, her angry boiling as she did so.

"I think Gohan may have been right, it's more a flesh wound then anything. Don't get me wrong, he got you pretty good, but I think it might be alright without any stitches, we'll just bandage it and clean it out daily" Bulma said as she wiped away the bubbling peroxide, much to Videl's discomfort.

"I really appreciate you guys helping me" Videl said as she bit her lip and tried to ignore the pressure Bulma was applying to her wound.

"Sweetie, if you ever need anything, and I mean anything, please don't hesitate to ask" Chi Chi said as she grasped Videl's shoulders firmly.

Videl gave a smile, "I promise Chi Chi, I won't hesitate" she said as Chi Chi wrapped her up in a hug as Bulma started to wrap gauze around her thin arm.

"Well kiddo, I think you're going to have one hell of a bruise on that arm of yours" Bulma said as she started to apply surgical tape to it to keep the gauze in place.

"Thanks again for the help you guys, I really do appreciate it" She said with a meek smile as she winced at her arm and rubbed it gently. "I can't believe my dad shot me…" she thought out loud as her voice took on a sad, but surprised tone.

"As morbid as this sounds sweetie, it could have been worse; much worse" Bulma said as she rubbed the thin teens' back in an effort to provide some form of comfort.

"He nearly killed me" Videl whispered as she thought back to the events that had taken place not too long ago and how she was mere centimetres away from death. "Gohan…he saved my life" she whispered as she was still lost in her own thoughts.

"Hun, I can promise you, he'd do anything to save your life, he's been like that since the day he brought you back from school. Anytime I've seen him, he's been so concerned and so worried about you and wants so badly to shield you from harm" Chi Chi said with a smile as she thought about how grown up her son was.

"It really is sweet I've gotta say, the way you two connect…he really has been worried about you; from you being sick, to being beaten, right down to your confidence issues and your weight issues" Bulma said in a gently tone, knowing that these were all pretty touchy subjects.

Before Videl could respond Chi Chi grabbed Videl's shoulders and shook them lightly, "I don't want you to ever go back there, please, promise me you won't unless escorted by Gohan or Goku, or even Vegeta" Chi Chi said as she gave the teenager a stern look.

"After that….I have no intention of even mentioning he's my biological father" Videl said with sadness clearly evident in her voice.

"I know what will cheer you up; let's get back to the ballroom. We'll try and have a little more fun before we all turn in; it is getting late but I'd rather end the night on a happy note then on what just happened" Bulma said as she looked at her watched and noticed that it was quarter to two in the morning; the whole ordeal with Hercule had taken nearly an hour.

"That's an excellent idea Bulma; come on sweetie" Bulma said as she gently helped the teen up, being mindful of her wounded arm.

As the three women walked into the ballroom they noticed the atmosphere had lightened a bit and everyone was making conversation amongst each other, even Vegeta was making small talk.

Videl smiled to herself as she watched Gohan's profile as he spoke with Krillin, she wasn't sure what Krillin had said to Gohan, but it was enough to make him blush a bright red.

She walked over to the table where Gohan, Krillin, Goku, Vegeta, Trunks and Goten were all sitting and greeted them all with a smile.

Gohan jumped up off of his seat and greeted her with the typical Son grin, "Hey, what did Bulma say about your arm, are you alright?" Gohan asked, concern showing through his smile.

"She said she thinks you were right and it's just a deep flesh wound. She didn't stitch it up and said we'll just clean and rebandage it daily…and thinks I'm going to have a hell of a bruise" she said with a bit of a laugh as Gohan stood beside her.

"Well that's good…here sit down, I'll go and get you some water of something" Gohan said as he pulled her chair out and motioned for her to sit down. He gave her a quick kiss and rushed off to go and get her a drink of water from the table beside her.

A few moments later Gohan came back and handed Videl the glass of water earning a quiet 'thank you' from her.

Gohan was about to question her on how she was feeling when Goku cut him off with a rather surprising question.

"Videl, if you don't mind my asking… how come you've never fought back against your father" Goku asked as he watched the surprised teen become a little uncomfortable.

"I don't know…" she asked as she had the internal battle as to how she should answer the question. Gohan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she felt like she could try and find an explanation as to the difficult question that had just been asked.

"I believed that if it was coming from my father, then I deserved it, as the saying goes 'father knows best'. I used to think it was how every family was then I eventually realized that this isn't how it was supposed to be at all" She said as she took a sip of water, trying to get the lump out of her throat.

"I would argue back with him, but the more I'd argue the more he'd try and intimidate me; push me into walls, stand over top of me and puff out his chest, or he'd just belittle me until I felt guilty. He's always been really good at that, he's in the wrong but guilt's you into feeling like you're the bad guy. It just…didn't seem worth it to fight anymore, I could never win. I guess I just figured that if I didn't fight it, the punishment wouldn't be as harsh as it would be if I had been fighting back" She said as she felt a single tear slowly trickle down her cheek.

"Videl…I'm really sorry" Goku said, unsure of what to say.

Gohan leaned down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her from behind. Everyone was silent, unsure of what to say. Everyone noticed Goten bright up quickly as he whispered something to Trunks. Trunks then made a face in protest and they proceeded to bicker back and forth with each other through whispers.

Goku raised an eyebrow in questioning, "Hey bud, what are you doing?" he asked as he looked at his youngest son and his best friend who had appeared to give up in defeat and agree to whatever place Goten had just suggested.

"You'll see in a minute dad; Videl Trunks and I are going to make you laugh" Goten said with a grin as he stood up and pulled his less than impressed friend along with him.

"How are you going to do that?" Videl questioned as she made sure none of the makeup that had been applied to her earlier in the evening was running down her face from crying.

"You'll see soon" Goten said as he ran off with Trunks in tow.

"Gohan…I've got to admit, you and your whole family is adorable" Videl said making Gohan and Goku blush.

"Thank you" Both men said as they attempted to hide a blush

"What do you think he's got planned?" Videl asked out loud.

"I'm not too sure, but I'm not going to lie…I get kind of nervous when those two come up with a plan" Krillin said as he rubbed his chin.

Before another word could be said, a loud up beat tune was played through the speakers.

Goten jumped on the stage with a wireless microphone in his hand and pointed to the crowd as he sang.

_**Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,**_

As Goten finished that line Trunks then jumped on stage and replied to the last line that Goten had sung.

_**So tell me what you want, what you really really want,**_

The two boys then continued on like that as they sang the lyrics.

_**I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,  
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,  
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really  
really really wanna zigazig ha**_

Everyone in the ballroom stopped whatever they were doing and stared as the two boys sang the famous song by the Spice Girls.

Videl looked dumbfounded as did everyone else in the ballroom. "I had no idea Goten and Trunks knew any songs by the spice girls" she said as she felt a smile tugging on the corner of her lips.

"I have no idea how he would have known the song" Gohan said as he started to laughed as he watched his little brother and his best friend dance along the stage to 'wannabe'.

_**If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends,  
Make it last forever friendship never ends,  
If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give,  
Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is.**_

Vegeta blushed at the sight of his only son singing the song and dancing along the stage with his best friend, he gave himself a slap in the head, "what the hell does he think he's doing?" he asked out loud not expecting to receive an answer.

"He and Goten are doing a very entertaining impression of the Spice Girls" Goku said with a laugh as he watched the two boys try to imitate women and their actions for the song.

Goten jumped off the stage and ran towards Videl and put the mic in her face and indicated that he wanted her to sing the next verse. Videl gave a smile and played along and then sang the next verse of the song.

_**What do you think about that now you know how I feel,  
Say you can handle my love are you for real,  
I won't be hasty, I'll give you a try  
If you really bug me then I'll say goodbye.**_

As she sang, she made the motions with her hands and even waved goodbye to Goten as he grinned and ran back with trunks so they could do a dance in the middle of the floor.

"I've gotta hand it to him…he did accomplish what he said he was going to do" Videl said with a large smile on her face as she watched the kids.

"This is a disgrace" Vegeta said as he watched his wife take lots of pictures of the two dancing boys in the middle of the room.

"Oh come on Vegeta, they're just having fun; trying to lighten the mood" Goku said as he slapped Vegeta's back. "And, it's clearly worked, look everyone's laughing their butts off" Goku said as he wiped a tear from his eye as he watch the boys finish up the song.

As soon as the two boys finished Goten had the typical Son grin on his face and was bowing and waving to everyone while Trunks bowed in an attempt to hide his growing blush. Everyone gave them a standing ovation as they clapped and cheered for the two boys who had just drastically altered the atmosphere in the ballroom.

Goten came back over to Videl who was now standing with a big smile on her face.

"Well, are you happier now Videl?" Goten asked as Videl squatted down to meet his gaze.

"Goten, you're the best" Videl said as she gave him a big hug, which he happily returned. "Thanks squirt, I owe you big time" she said as she pulled back and returned his grin.

"Awh, it was nothing, so long as you're happier then you were; I really hate to see you cry" Goten said, causing Videl's smile to soften.

Videl gave Goten's cheek a little pinch, "you know, you're lucky you've got your father and brother's genes in you, the ladies are going to absolutely love a sweetheart like you when you're older" she said earning a blush from Goten.

"I don't think I've ever seen my dad wear jeans" Goten said quietly as Gohan laughed at his little brother's confusion.

"Goten, how do you know of the Spice Girls?" Gohan asked as his brother gave a big grin.

"I came over here one day and I heard it blaring in the gravity room and it stuck in my head, so I went to go and play with Trunks but I guess it never left my head" Goten said as everyone turned to look at Vegeta.

"I do not listen to that garbage" he said angrily as he tried to defend himself.

"Wow Vegeta, what other songs do you know?" Goku asked as Vegeta shot him a glare.

"Kakarot, I swear to god I will kill you right here, right now" he said angrily as he continued to defend himself.

"Aww come on, lighten up Vegeta it's a party" Goku said as he waved his hands in front of him in an attempt to get the older saiyan to relax a little.

"Alright guys, we'll do a few more songs, and then a slow song then I say we pack it in for the night, it's already past 2 am!" Bulma exclaimed into the microphone.

"Gosh…everyone is definitely going to sleep in tomorrow. I'm looking forward o sleeping in past seven in the morning" Chi Chi thought out loud as she walked over to Goku and her sons.

Gohan raised an eyebrow as he looked at his girlfriend who was lost in thought, "hey V, are you alright?" Gohan asked as he crouched down in front of her as she sat in the chair.

"Hmm? Yea I'm alright thanks" she replied in a not too convincing tone of voice.

"Are you actually alright?" he asked, disbelieving her response

"Yea I guess, I dunno I guess I'm still shocked by today's while events, that and I need to find an apartment" she said quietly as she averted her gaze from Gohan.

"Need to find an apartment?" Gohan asked, drawing the attention of the rest of his family.

"I'm kind of homeless…" she said as she raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

"You're homeless?" Gohan asked, growing more and more confused with each response Videl gave him.

"You want me to go back to my dad's house?" Videl asked as she raised an eyebrow in questioning, matching Gohan's expression.

"I don't even want you to go back there, I wouldn't even want to risk you being in the same city with him" Gohan said as he

"Well, if I'm not living there, then I need a find a place to live" she replied.

"Videl…you can live with us, I can promise you you'll be safe with us and cared for. I'm sure my mom won't mind…" Gohan trailed off as he looked at his smiling mother who was nodding lightly towards him.

"Videl, will you please live with us?" Goten asked as he gave her the puppy dog eyes, Gohan soon joining his baby brother in giving her the ever hard to resist puppy dog face.

"I don't want to burden you all…" she said as she stared into the impossibly cute faces.

"Burden us, are you serious?" Goku asked with a laugh as he looked at Videl who seemed unsure of what to do at the moment.

"Sweetie, we love you, Gohan loves you, and we want to take care of you. You're clearly going to be involved with our family and friends for a long time coming so may as well get comfortable in these living conditions while you can" Chi Chi said earning a blush from Gohan and Videl, knowing that she was implying that marriage was in their future

"But, you've all done so much for me, you even risked your lives for me not too long ago" Videl said standing up in protest. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay with them, she couldn't imagine anything she'd love more, and she just felt guilty for all of a sudden becoming more independent on them.

"And we'll do it again, and spoil you rotten either way" Goku said with a laugh as he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Do…do you not want to live with us?' Gohan asked in a hurt tone of voice.

"No no, that's not it at all. I love living with you guys, I feel like I'm part of an actual family…I just feel guilty for all you've done for me, and I've done nothing in return" Videl said as she grabbed Gohan's hands and held them to show the sincerity in her words.

"Tell you what Videl, you come and live with us, and you can help around the house, do a few chores or something" Chi Chi said, trying to bargain with the teenager.

"Can I cook dinner, or do the dishes?" Videl asked as she glanced over at the older woman.

"I'd love someone to take over the cooking and dishes every now and then" Chi Chi said with a laugh as she hugged Goku around his trim waist.

"You guys really wouldn't have a problem with me permanently living with you?" Videl asked, her voice was filled with hope as she looked to the loving family.

"I want you to come and live with us" Gohan said quietly as he squeezed his girlfriend's hands gently for reassurance.

"Videl, I promise you, it'd be our pleasures to have you live with us" Goku said with a grin as Videl allowed her smile to grow bigger.

"I'd love to live with you guys" she said with a big smile on her face as Gohan grabbed her and held her tightly against him in a hug.

"This is awesome, Videl is going to live with us; this is way too cool!" Goten exclaimed excitedly as he jumped up and down.

"I love you guys" Videl said with a smile as she pulled away slowly from Gohan and the other three family members of the Son family a big hug; giving Goku and Goten a kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation.

"I'm really glad you're going to be living with us…I've gotta say…I don't think I'd be too comfortable with you living on your own" Gohan said as he gave her a concerned look.

"Don't think I could take care of myself?" she questioned jokingly.

"I know you can, but you aren't invincible and can be hurt much more easily then you would be with us. And besides, this way I know you're safe and I know your father won't try anything dumb while you're with us" he said as his concerned expression never left his face.

"It's such an incredible feeling to feel wanted and protected" she said as she gave Gohan a hug.

"Hey guys, sorry to break this love fest, but Bulma had asked me to see if anyone wanted to do a last karaoke song before the party ends" Krillin said as he interrupted the touching moment.

"Videl and I will do a duet" Gohan said with a grin as Krillin motioned for him to follow him. Gohan grabbed Videl's hand gently and pulled it in the direction he was walking as Videl cast a confused glance back at the Son family.

"Gohan, what are we singing?" Videl asked as she allowed Gohan to pull her towards the stage, curiosity clearly evident in her voice.

"It's a surprise" Gohan said simply as they walked up the stage stairs. Gohan then went to Bulma and whispered something into her ear, earning a nod and a smile Bulma then started hitting keys on the karaoke computer.

"How am I supposed to sing if I don't know what we're singing" Videl asked in a light hearted tone of voice.

"Just follow my lead, you'll catch on soon enough" Gohan said as he handed Videl a microphone and gave the thumbs up to Bulma.

A few moments later a familiar motown beat started to play, with that Gohan took a deep breath in and sang along to the song.

_**Listen, baby  
Ain't no mountain high  
Ain't no valley low  
Ain't no river wide enough, baby**_

Videl grinned as she heard Gohan sing; Gohan knew she loved this song and listened to it all the time. 'what a sweetheart' she thought to herself as she took a deep inhale in and started to sing her part of the duet.

_**If you need me, call me  
No matter where you are  
No matter how far  
Just call my name  
I'll be there in a hurry  
You don't have to worry**_

As soon as the chorus came along everyone in the ballroom sang along, clearly knowing the song from the radio, or even from the movie 'remember the titans' (**Author's note: I watched this in gym class and as soon as the chorus came on everyone in the class started singing it. Ha grade 12 and everyone's singing chorus. Anyways back to the story!**)

_**No wind, no rain  
My love is alive  
Way down in my heart  
Although we are miles apart  
If you ever need a helping hand  
I'll be there on the double  
As fast as I can  
Don't you know that**_

The two sang the bridge together earning lost of cheers and clapping, and then once again everyone joined in for the chorus and finished up the famous Motown song together.

Gohan and Videl took a bow as everyone clapped, causing their grins to grow wider.

"Alright guys, we're going to play the last slow song of the night, and then I say we turn in, it's already almost a quarter to three now!" Bulma exclaimed as she grabbed the mic off the stand Gohan had just carefully placed it on.

Gohan gently grabbed Videl's hand and bent down and gave it a gentle kiss, "may I have this dance my lady?" Gohan asked as he bowed to her and gave her a smile.

Videl giggled a little at how cute Gohan was acting, "I'd be delighted my good sir" Videl said as she grabbed the bottom of her dress and did a little curtsy with her free hand.

Gohan then pulled Videl's body closer to him as he held her hand still, placing his hand on the small of her back and Videl wrapped her arm around his trim waist.

She rested her head against Gohan's chest and closed her eyes as she listened to the music play.

_**A special smile, a certain touch  
I never had a love that I loved so much  
When I look back, you're everywhere  
Turn the page, you were there**_

Videl sighed in content as she let the events of that night wash over her and enjoy being held securely in Gohan's arms.

_**What would I do if some strange morning  
I opened up my eyes to find you gone  
I can't imagine how I would survive it  
I finally got the reason to go on**_

As Videl leaned against Gohan's chest, slowly swaying to the music, she realized how mentally exhausted she was; everything that transpired that night, was so taxing on her emotional state of mind.

The more she thought about it the more she was nervous about sleeping by herself tonight. 'I can't believe I'm scared to be alone tonight…granted it is pretty justified, I mean, my dad did try to shoot me tonight. What if he comes back tonight and tries to finish the job? Everyone will be asleep, I can't be protected' she thought as her body tensed up at these thoughts.

"Hey, V are you alright?" Gohan whispered as he danced with Videl, feeling her body tense up as they shared the last dance of the night together.

"Yea, I'm fine" Videl said in a not so convincing tone of voice. 'Maybe I should see if I can sleep in Gohan's room on the floor, or in Goten's room. Then again…they are letting me live with them, maybe I should tough it out for the night, I've just got to be on my guard I guess' she thought to herself as her mind started to race with possibilities of what could happen.

"Alright guys, it's three in the morning now and I'm completely drained. The food has been put away and I say we clean this up tomorrow. I'd like to say a final happy new year and say thank you to everyone who helped in making this evening so, 'eventful'. But for now, let's get to bed!" Bulma exclaimed after the song ended and she walked back up on the stage.

Everyone clapped as they all realized just how tired they were. Everyone muttered their goodnight's to each other and followed each other up the stairs, then everyone moved into their respective rooms.

Goku and Chi Chi turned to Videl and Gohan then smiled to the two as Goku had a sleepy Goten in his arms.

"Good night you two, sleep well" Goku said as he gave a wave to them and Videl moved to give him a hug and say a quick hug and then repeated the same with Chi Chi.

The two adults once again said goodnight to the two teens and then went to go and put their youngest son into his room and turn into bed themselves.

Gohan walked with Videl's hand in his until he reached the wall the separated his room and Videls. He turned towards her and stared at her with a small smile on his face.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a joking tone of voice as she smiled up at him.

"You're so beautiful" he said quietly as they stood in the dimly lit hallway. He reached his hand forward and pushed stray curled piece of hair out her face as he looked over her for the hundredth time that night.

"You're pretty gorgeous yourself" she said as she twirled the lock of hair that hung in front of his face around her finger.

"I had a really good time tonight…and I'm sorry for your father bursting in" Gohan said as he pressed his forehead to hers and lightly stroked her cheek with her hand. He felt Videl tense up again and grew concerned.

"Are you alright Videl?" he asked in a gentle tone of voice.

"Yea…I had a great night with you too Gohan" she said, quickly trying to change the subject.

"Videl…if you don't feel comfortable being by yourself tonight, you're welcome to sleep in my room. I can completely understand you being on edge" Gohan said, assuming she was nervous to be alone and vulnerable after what took place a few hours ago.

"I…think I'll be ok" she said quietly as she averted her gaze, trying to put on a strong front in front of him.

"Well, if you don't feel comfortable, then just come in alright? I promise nothing will happen to you while you're here" Gohan said as he lightly kissed her nose, earning a smile from Videl.

"You are the best" She said as she wrapped her arms around Gohan's neck, enjoying the temporary lift her high heels gave her.

Gohan leaned forward and gently pressed his lips onto hers, loving the way if felt to have her body pressed closely to his, and knowing she loved it just as much as he did.

"I love you" she whispered quietly, almost as if she were afraid that he wouldn't respond.

She got nervous as a few moments of silence went by. She looked up and saw a grin forming on his face. "What?" she asked curiously.

"You have no idea how good it feels to hear that" he said as he pressed his lips to hers and captured her in a tender kiss.

"I love you too" he whispered back as he pulled away from the kiss for a moment, then went right back to making out with her.

They made out in the dimly lit hallway for a few minutes then Gohan pulled away gently. "V, as much as I'd love to continue doing this, it's getting really late and we should both be turning in" he said as she nodded her head in agreement.

"You're right, as usual. Well, thank you for everything tonight, I can't describe how much it means to me" she said as she embraced him in a tight hug.

"It was my pleasure, and I'd do it again" he said as he returned the hug. He gave her a final squeeze then they both pulled apart.

"Night beautiful" he said as he gave her a smile and a small wave.

"Night gorgeous" she replied as she returned the smile and wave and then slowly stepped into her room.

Videl leaned against the closed door and held a hand to her chest as she stared up at the ceiling in thought. She slowly took off her shoes and then made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she brushed her teeth she stared at her reflection, amazed at the transformation that was done to her. She ran over the evening's events as she moved her one arm to turn the tap on and winced in pain as she felt her open wound being pulled at.

As she finished brushing her teeth she stopped to think as to whether or not she wanted to take her hair out now but decided against it for lack of energy. She reached behind and unzipped her dress then carefully hung it up in the closet that was provided for her and slipped on one of Gohan's old t-shirts and a pair of boxer shorts.

She could have easily worn actual pajamas, but she loved to wear Gohans old shirts, they just had a comforting effect. She took a deep inhale of his shirt and sighed as she crawled into the large bed and rested her head comfortable against the plush pillows.

She closed her eyes and tried to think of positive things to help calm her jumpy mind; she ran through pictures of her and Gohan that had appeared throughout the night and smiled at how good they looked together. Then with that, she drifted off into a welcome state of unconsciousness.

Alright guys that's chapter 14, I hope you enjoyed it! I've started working on chapter 15 and would love to have some reviews for motivation. I'm not going to lie, it's much more motivating to write a chapter when I know that people out there are actually reading it and do enjoy my story. So please read and review.

I would absolutely love to have more than a hundred reviews by the time I finish up this story. So please, let me know what you all think of my story and chapters!


	15. The Next Day

**Authors note: Hey guys, sorry this took so long, I've been crazy busy with work. But on the bright side my work didn't strike! I will try to get the next chapter up and going soon but I ask that my fans please continue to be patient. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, I realize there's not as much going on as the last few chapters, but trust me, I'll make it more eventful in the following chapters; I would continue to write, but I'm trying to keep each chapter at 20 pages as to not bore you all.**

But anyways, please read and review and give me some feedback! Sorry about the delay…Enjoy!

_**Chapter 15: The Next Day**_

"Talking"  
'Thinking'

Videl opened her tired eyes slowly as she heard a noise in her dark room. She then heard what sounded like feet shuffling across her bedroom floor. She sat up and looked around the room as her eyes adjusted to the dark room. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out what the source of the noise was.

'Who the hell is making noise at this time of night? I swear to god, someone is going to get my foot in their ass' she angrily though to herself as she drowsily looked around her room for the source of the noise.

She did a quick scan of her room then gave her eyes a few moments to adjust to the dark room and then did another quick scan of her room. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as she noticed a tall, large figure standing at the front of the bed.

"I told you this wouldn't be the end" she heard Hercule said as she watched as he lifted a gun up and pointed it straight at Videl.

Videl wanted to scream but as she opened her mouth and nothing would come out. She grabbed her throat in surprise at her sudden laryngitis and widened her eyes more as she heard him cock the gun.

'Please, someone save me, Gohan please come help me' she thought as she desperately try to scream.

"I may not have been able to finish this earlier because of that skinny kid. But for you fat ass, this ends now" Hercule muttered as he lifted the gun and aimed it straight at Videl's head. Before she could even think another thought a loud noise erupted form the gun as he pulled the trigger.

Videl felt her body being jerked out of her unconscious state and her eyes snapped open. Her breathing was heavy and her brow was covered in perspiration as she sat up quickly and looked around the room frantically trying to see if someone was in her room.

"A dream…it was all a dream" she said, happy to know that she was able to speak again. "A horrible dream" she muttered to herself as she tried to calm her breathing down unsuccessfully.

She slowly laid her head back down on her plush pillow and closed her eyes in an attempt to fall back to sleep but failed repeatedly. Videl found that every time she closed her eyes she'd see her father standing in front of her holding a gun getting ready to shoot her.

"Looks like no more sleep for me" she muttered as she lay in her bed staring up at the dark ceiling.

~*~Meanwhile

Gohan opened his eyes and saw that he was inside of a house he had never seen before. "What the…?" he said out loud as he studied room he was in. Inside of this mysterious room, he could only assume it was an office; there was a large cherry wood desk with an expensive looking computer on top of it, along with a mess of papers piled up on top of binders. He turned around and saw a large book case filled with any kind of book you could imagine and right beside it mounted to the wall was a flat screen TV with a DVD player and satellite box attached to it.

Gohan arched an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head, "Where am I?" he questioned out loud as he took a step forward and examined the books that were occupying the shelf. He rested his hand on the plush computer desk chair and out of the corner of his eye he could see a picture frame being revealed as he moved the chair. Curiosity getting the better of him, Gohan pushed the chair aside and picked up the picture frame and started at the picture.

The frame contained a picture of a woman, she looked as though she was maybe in her mid twenties; she had long black hair, brilliant blue eyes and a smile that could make a guy grow weak in the knees. He smiled as he looked at the picture and saw that the woman was blowing a kiss with both hands to who ever had been taking the picture and was grinning in the process.

'She kind of reminds me of Videl' Gohan thought to himself as he smiled unconsciously as he stared at the woman's beautiful, mature features and slowly put the picture down.

Gohan was jerked out of his thoughts as he heard the loud shrill of a child's giggles. 'What is that?' he thought to himself as he walked out of the room and followed the noise.

"Pan!" he heard a woman groan as he peered his head out from around a corner to see a woman bending down to pick up what looked like cheerio's off the ground. He quickly pulled his head back, not wanting to scare the unsuspecting woman. But he did feel he should at least let her know that he was, for some reason, in her house so he stepped forward and cleared his throat loudly.

When the woman didn't acknowledge him he tried to do it again a little louder, but again received no response. "Um, excuse me I don't mean to bother you but…" Gohan trailed off as he stepped forward towards the woman and received no recognition.

'Can she not see me or hear me?' Gohan thought to himself as he stepped right in front of the woman, making it impossible for her to miss him if she could see him; but yet again no response. "Odd…" Gohan said out loud as he watched the woman in the picture stand up with a hand full of cereal.

The woman stood up and dumped the handful of cereal into a garbage bin and turned around and looked at her daughter.

"I know you're hungry Pan, but daddy will be home soon with the groceries, there's no need to throw your food and make a mess for mommy" the woman said as she stared at the little baby in the highchair. "mommy didn't push you out of her seven and a half months ago just so you could throw Cheerio's all over the floor for her" the woman said as she came to eye level with the baby girl and gave her a defeated look, earning a confused look back.

Gohan arched an eyebrow as he watched and finally studied what the woman really looked like. It clearly was the woman from the picture; she was absolutely beautiful and for a woman who had had a baby not too long ago, she looked absolutely remarkable. He smiled to himself as he watched the woman stare at the baby, he didn't know why he was smiling, but felt like he should be.

The baby blinked at the woman and then gave her mother a big grin, earning a smile from the woman.

"You are definitely your fathers' daughter" she said with a smile as the baby giggled. "Only he could make that smile appear and get away with murder" she said as she ruffled the little girls' hair causing her to laugh louder.

The woman picked up from the high chair and gave her a smile as she bounced her on her hip gently. Just then the sound of a door opening startled the baby, causing her to give a confused look.

"Daddy's home!" the woman exclaimed as the little girls eyes lit up with excitement to seeing her other parent again.

Gohan stared at the baby girl on the woman's hip, he couldn't place his finger on it, but the baby and the woman looked familiar….but from where?

"Videl sweetie, I'm home. Sorry that took so long but the grocery store was packed" Gohan heard a man say from what he could only assume was the front hallway.

'That's Videl?' Gohan thought to himself in shock as his mouth opened and he stared at the woman now identified as Videl

"Holy…she looks incredible! Especially for someone who had a baby less than a year ago. She's so…beautiful" Gohan said out loud, he smiled to himself as he watched the woman allowed a grin to grace her features.

"That's definitely her…I'd recognize the smile anywhere" Gohan said as he looked closer at the little baby. 'That explains why the baby looks familiar' Gohan thought to himself as he looked at the little baby girl with short black hair and dark eyes; really just the cutest little face you could ever see. Clearly, the baby was taking after her mother with some of her features.

As Gohan waited for Videl's husband to enter the room he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, here was the love of his life married, with a child and he had no idea who the lucky husband was. 'Well, I hope she's happy at least' he thought to himself, feeling crestfallen as he watched Videl and her baby that he now knew was named Pan.

Gohan watched a man walk into the kitchen, but for some reason a shadow was covering his face. All he could tell from this man was that he was tall; well built and clearly held great affection for the two that were already in the kitchen.

"How's my two favourite girls?" the man asked as he came and gave Videl a kiss and picked the baby up.

The baby giggled with glee as the man held her up and then brought her close to his chest and bounced her up and down lightly.

"I think Panny here missed her daddy" Videl said with a smile on her face as she watched her husband play with their daughter.

"Well I missed her too" Gohan said earning a suspicious look from the little baby. "I did miss you, I swear sweetie" the man said with a laugh as the little girl smiled back up at him.

"Man, you definitely are just like your mommy" the man said with a laugh, receiving a light smack on the arm from Videl.

Gohan kept moving slightly, desperately trying to figure out who the lucky man was that was married to Videl. "Lucky ass" he muttered under his breath as the shadow on the man's face moved everywhere Gohan went.

As if the man with the baby had heard Gohan he turned his face towards Gohan, then all of a sudden the shadow disappeared.

Gohan's felt his jaw drop as he watched a man who looked very similar to himself give Gohan a grin. The man had spiky black hair, dark eyes and wore glasses.

"Is…is that me?" Gohan questioned out loud as he stared at the man holding the baby who was returning his gaze.

The man simply stared at Gohan, his grin continually growing as he continued to bounce the baby girl on his hip lightly.

'That also could explain why the baby looked familiar…' Gohan thought to himself as he studied the baby once again. She definitely had Videl's cute little nose, but had the man's eyes, and shared the same hair colour as both of her parents.

Before Gohan could think anything else there was a brilliantly bright white flash, he squinted and then allowed his eyes to adjust to the bright light as he looked around. Where ever he was, it seemed like a vast void, an endless space of white abyss.

The man appeared in front of Gohan, startling him and making him fall over in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you" The man said in a sheepish voice as he reached a hand out to help Gohan up.

"What's…going on?" Gohan asked as he rubbed the back of his head in confusion.

"Think of this as a glimpse of the future" the man said with a grin. "I'm you from the future" he stated causing a shock look to appear on Gohans face.

"You…me…Videl…and a baby?" Gohan stuttered in surprise.

"Well, not you and me, but yes, we and Videl had a baby" the older version of Gohan said with a proud smirk on his face.

"Wow…" was all Gohan could muster out, he had had a feeling that the man was him, but hearing that they had a child together was so surprising, but at the same time, he couldn't help but smile knowing she really was the love of his life.

"Yea and you are going to have one hell of a time with Pan's creation" the older Gohan said with a laugh as he watched his younger self blush at the thought. "But, that's beside the point; I did bring you here for a reason".

"That being?" Gohan questioned, the blush still lingering on his cheeks.

"Trust me; you're doing a great job on her confidence. She's going to be feeling a little low after what took place earlier, but you'll bring her out of it soon enough" he said, receiving a nod from Gohan. "I wanted to give you a warning though, this isn't quite the end, you're close, but the end will present its self soon enough".

Gohan gave his older version a confused look, "end of what? Videl and I? Because if that's the case…why did I see us with a baby?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No, not the end of you two, and trust me, you two will only grow closer, I promise. I can't explain in more detail what I mean by the end, but you'll understand when it arrives" his older self responded.

"Ok?" Gohan replied in confusion.

"Anyways, as neat as it is to talk with a younger version of myself, you are needed. Videl needs a little help and would love more than anything for you to go and see her" his older version said with a wink and a grin.

Before Gohan could reply to his older self he felt his eyes snap open and his body jolted awake. He sat up in his bed and looked around his dark room. "Was that real?" he questioned to himself as he replayed the dream in his head.

He couldn't help but smile to himself at the thought of him and Videl married together with a beautiful baby girl. "I wonder if this was similar to the dream that Videl told me about earlier" he questioned out loud. He shook his head and remembered his older self had told him Videl needed him.

He stood up from the comfort of his bed and switched his night stand lamp on. He squinted his eyes a little as he allowed them to adjust to the light. He covered his mouth as he let a yawn escape his lips and then walked towards his door and made his way towards Videl's bedroom.

His eyes adjusted quickly to the dark hallway and he moved quickly to Videl's bedroom door. He gave it a soft knock and waited for any form of reply. When he received no acknowledgement he knocked again, "Videl, can you hear me?" he whispered hoping she would hear him. But alas, he once again received no reply.

He opened her door gently and moved quickly into her room and closed the door lightly behind him.

"Videl?" He said out loud. Gohan took a few steps closer to her bed but before he could try to figure out where he was he felt something pointy hit him with a fair degree of force.

"I swear to god you better get out of my room. If I can't kill you, the good people here sure as hell will" Videl said as she peered her head out from behind one of the large curtains.

Gohan decided that it would be in his best interest to not move and scare her more. "Videl, it's me" Gohan whispered quietly, almost too quietly.

"Last chance ass hole" Videl said, not hearing the tall dark figure whispering her name.

Gohan heaved a sigh and quickly powered up to super saiyan so he could light up the room and show that she was indeed safe and sound. Gohan looked over and saw a very startled Videl standing by the window with her high heel shoe from the previous night in her hand.

"Gohan?" she questioned quietly as she lowered her hand with the shoe in it.

"Did you throw a high heel at me?" he questioned as he rubbed the spot where he had been hit by the pointy object. He looked down at his feet and sure enough there laid a black four inch skinny high heel from the party.

He laughed a little as Videl allowed a blush to creep to her cheeks as she stepped forward and lowered her hand down completely.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hurt you did I?" she questioned as she saw Gohan was gently rubbing a small area on his chest.

"You definitely caught me off guard, you've got a pretty good arm on you" he said with a laugh as her blush continued to grow. "What are you doing with high heeled shoes at this time of night V?" He asked as she stood sheepishly in front of the bright super saiyan.

"I thought you were my dad and you were coming in to finish the job from tonight" she said as she allowed herself to drop the other shoe, now knowing she was out of harm's way.

"What would make you think it was your father?" He asked gently as he turned her light switch on and slowly allowed his hair to turn back to black and let his eyes turn back to their normal colour.

"I had some weird dreams" she said quietly.

Gohan raised an eyebrow, "weird dreams huh? Guess that makes two of us" he said, earning a confused look from Videl.

"What was your dream about?" she questioned gently as she watched Gohan blush lightly.

"Tell you what, you tell me first, and then I'll tell you about my dream ok?" he said as he watched Videl sigh and nodded her head in agreement.

Videl moved so she sat on her bed in front of Gohan and put her head in her hands as she heaved a big yawn. "Every time I'd start to fall asleep…I'd see this dark figure appear in front of me and then my dad would start talking to me, saying he was going to finish the job." She said, her voice quivered lightly as she was clearly shaken at the thought of her fathering breaking into her room.

"Then I'd try to scream, hoping that you or anyone would hear me and would be able to help me, but it never worked; I never had a voice. I would then hear him say something like 'this ends now' and see him aim the gun right at my head and hear it go off. Then as the bullet would be just about hitting me, I'd wake up with a jolt. Every time I've closed my eyes, I just see him standing in front of me" she said as she gently rubbed her wounded arm and averted her gaze from Gohan.

"I know…it sounds stupid…but I can't get it out of my head" she whispered quietly.

Gohan knelt down so he was on his knees in front of Videl and lightly rested his hands on her knees. "It's not stupid, it's perfectly justified. You went through something traumatic today, it's completely understandable that you feel uncomfortable being alone right now" he said gently, hoping that she'd lift her eyes up and meet his gaze.

"Did…has my dad ever tried to break into this bedroom? When I was behind the curtains I saw that all of the locks had been melted." She whispered confusion and sadness evident in her voice.

"My dad told me that Vegeta caught him trying to break in and found you lying in the middle of the floor. So he melted the locks so your dad couldn't get back in again so you'd be safe" He replied quietly, giving her knee a gentle reassuring squeeze.

"I...I had thought that I was hallucinating" she whispered as she met his gaze.

"They told me that Vegeta told you that; he didn't want you to be scared or have me get too worried about you either. They were trying to protect you" he replied back, his voice maintaining its gently and sincere tone.

"He's…he's been in my room" she whispered, not sure how she should feel about this.

"But I can promise you, he won't ever be in your room again, not if I can help it" he said, trying to offer her some reassurance.

Videl looked up and gave him an unconvinced smile, "it's funny…whether I'm at my old place, or I'm here where I know I'm safe…he still manages to bully me" she said quietly as she once again turned her gaze from Gohan.

"V, would you like to sleep in my room?" he asked as she returned her gaze and gave him a startled look.

"There's no way your dad would be stupid enough to try and break into my room, and if I sense that you're in any form of danger I'll wake up right away and make sure that no one hurts you" he said with a smile as she listened intently to what he had to say.

"I wouldn't mind sleeping in your room" she said with a blush as his grin grew bigger. "But I'll sleep on the floor, I don't want to take up your bed space" she said as he arched an eyebrow and smiled at her.

"Videl, you're what; 5 foot 3 and a buck five? There's no way you'll take up my bed space" he said with a laugh as her blush grew.

"I meant I didn't want to take up your room to stretch out" she replied.

"Well, it is a king size bed and I know I'm a tall guy, but even I don't sprawl out that much. I'd be insulted if you didn't want to sleep in my bed with me" he said, and then blushed hoping she wouldn't take the invite the wrong way.

"You really wouldn't mind me staying in your room tonight? I swear I can stay in my room tomorrow night" she said, feeling better knowing she'll be able to both sleep and be protected.

"V, you can stay in my room as long as you feel it takes for you to be comfortable" he said as he leaned up and kissed her forehead.

He then stood up and gave her a grin, "now come on, it's late and I'm sure that we're both beat" he said as he offered his hands to help Videl stand up.

Gohan escorted Videl back to his room and closed the doors and turned off the lights. As Gohan sat down on his bed he had already seen Videl curled up in the middle of the bed and couldn't help but smile at how innocent she looked when she was falling asleep.

Gohan then lie down on the bed and quickly found Videl scooting closer to him. He smiled and realized she wanted to be in his arms so he happily wrapped his arms around her small frame and let out a content sigh.

"Gohan?" he heard her whisper.

"Yea V?" he replied back, equally as quiet.

"What was your dream about, you know he weird one you said you had" she questioned as a yawn quickly followed her question.

"I…I dreamed that I was in some sort of study, or office. With a large expensive desk and a computer, TV and such and behind the big computer desk chair I saw a picture of a beautiful woman blowing a kiss to whoever had taken the picture. Before I would do anything else I heard a baby laughing and when I walked into the room I saw the woman from the picture cleaning up the mess the baby had just made." He said as he smiled to himself, knowing that adorable baby was, or at least would be alive partly in thanks to him.

"What did the woman look like" she said quietly as she rested comfortably in Gohans arms.

"She was short, had long black hair, she had these absolutely beautiful eyes, and a smile that could make any guy go weak in the knees" he replied.

"Geez Gohan, why don't you marry her" she said in a joking tone of voice.

"It's funny you should say that, because a man looking an awful lot like me walked into the room and called your name and apologized for taking so long" he said, Videl turned around quickly to see if he was lying or not.

"What was the baby's name?" she asked intently, having a feeling she already knew the answer.

"The little baby girls name was Pan. She had your nose" before Gohan could finish his sentence Videl interjected.

"And your eyes" Videl said finishing off his sentence. "We both had a dream that we had a kid together?" she asked with surprise.

"Geez V, don't sound too excited" he said jokingly.

"No no I don't mean it like that…it's just…wow" she said as she let a smile grace her features. "In my dream, you were watching Pan and trying to do work, but she took your glasses and when you took the back she glared at you and said she was definitely her mother's daughter" she said as she smiled back at her dream, remembering how cute the display of affection had been.

"In my dream she had thrown cereal on the floor and you were cleaning it up and you looked like you were trying to be upset but she gave you this big adorable grin an you had said she was definitely her father's daughter because only he could use that grin and get away with murder" he said, unconsciously smiling at the scene he had witnessed not too long ago.

"Do you think we'll grow old together, and even have a child together Gohan" Videl whispered, sleep starting to take over her body.

"I don't know Videl, but I sure wouldn't mind that if it happened" he said with a yawn as his body grew sleepier and sleepier by the minute.

"I'm falling asleep" she whispered.

"Me too" he whispered back.

"Goodnight and thanks Gohan…I love you…" she whispered as he breathing slowly became even and she was overcome by sleep.

"Night V, I love you too" he whispered as he held her close and quickly drifted off into his own unconscious state.

~*~

Gohan squinted his eyes together as he felt the sun's rays beating in through his large bedroom window. He opened one eye through his heavy lid and quickly closed it as he saw the sun's bright rays beating down on him. He gave a groan and went to turn around to look at the clock but felt something on his arm.

He looked surprised for a moment and then the events of that night flooded back into his head as he realized it was Videl, sleeping peacefully curled up against him. He smiled to himself as he watched her sigh in her sleep and watched her even breathing.

'I'm so glad she managed to get a good night's sleep' he thought to himself as he put his head back down on the pillow and curled up to her again. 'maybe just a few more minutes' he thought to himself as he closed his eyes and once again drifted off to sleep.

A half an hour later another set of heavy lidded eyes opened up as a result of the sun's rays. Videl quickly closed her eyes again once she felt the bright light. She inhaled deeply and smiled to herself, 'what is that smell? It's so…relaxing' she thought to herself as she once again inhaled deeply.

She snuggled closer as she felt a warmth come over her body as she snuggled closer to the source of the warmth. She paused for a moment then opened her eyes suddenly as she felt whatever she was snuggled up to moving gently up and down in a slow rhythm.

She trailed her eyes up slowly and saw a pale skinned jaw line and smiled to herself as she realized that she was sleeping with the love of her life. She pushed her body up slowly so she was face to face with her sleeping boyfriend.

She smiled to herself as she watched him inhale lightly through his partly parted lips and exhale slowly. She thought he looked so cute and so peaceful.

'it's so incredible to see a man of such power and strength; someone who's seen so much death and who's killed before to save billions of people…sleeping so peacefully and looking so innocent and defenceless' she thought to herself as she lightly traced his jaw line with her finger tip.

As she traced her finger along his jaw line she felt him hold her closer to his body, causing her smile to grow. She looked at his closed eyes to see if he was awake, but he showed no signs of being aware of anything going on in the world.

She gently reached her hand up and ran her hand lightly through his thick dark locks of hair, smiling as she noticed that they were still gravity defying. She watched the corners of his lips turn up slightly as she continued to gently play with his hair.

She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against his, giving him a gentle kiss. A few seconds later she pulled her lips away and nuzzled her head into his neck and enjoyed being held against his warm, protecting body.

She was startled as she felt Gohan hug her closer and lean her head down to kiss the top of her head, while inhaling the smell of her hair in.

"Good morning" he whispered into her hair, causing her smile to grow.

"Morning sunshine" she said as she turned her head up to give him a smile.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked as he returned her smile and kissed her forehead.

"Actually, after I came into here I slept like a baby, no scary dreams, and no freak outs" she said as gazed up into his dark eyes.

"Good, I'm glad" he said as he held her closely, happy to have played a part in her comfortable sleep.

"Thanks for letting me sleep in your room Gohan, it really helped having you here" she said as she moved her body closer to his warm body.

"Well, I'm glad it helped. If you don't feel comfortable sleeping alone, you're always welcome in my bed" he said then blushed, hoping that didn't sound as suggestive as it did in his head.

"I might take you up on that offer" she said, causing Gohan to heave a sigh of relief to not having her thinking he was a pervert.

He hugged her closely, unconsciously smiling to himself as he thought about how good it felt to be laying in the same bed as Videl, and how much he loved waking up to her face.

After a few silent minutes Videl spoke, "think we should get up now?" she asked as she muffled a quiet yawn.

"Probably, it's already..." he paused as he turned around to get a better look at the alarm clock that was sitting on his nightstand "eleven thirty" he said, surprise in his voice.

"I can't remember the last time I've slept in till half past eleven" he said with a laugh as he put his head back down onto the pillow.

"Yea, but you usually turn in earlier than three in the morning; I guess that mountain air takes it out of you" she said as she pushed her body up lightly so she was at eye level with Gohan.

"The air near my house is so much cleaner then the air here in the city" he said, smiling at how peaceful he found the land by his home.

"Yea, that's true" she said as she gazed up at the tall ceilings. "Gohan?" she asked as she leaned up on her elbow so she could look him straight in the face.

"Mm-hm?" he said as he lazily turned his face to meet her gaze.

"Are you sure your family won't mind me living with you guys, I really can get a job, and get an apartment. I don't want to be a burden and-" she was cut off by Gohan putting his finger onto her lips.

"We would love to have you live with us. My family loves you; mom loves having another female in the house, Goten get's a new playmate, and my dad has always had fun with you, you're like a daughter to him" he said with a smile, as she returned it, his finger still gently pressed against her lips.

"And you?" she asked quietly. She knew how he'd feel about her staying there, but hearing him say it would just make her so much happier.

She saw Gohan's features soften a little, "I would love to have you in my house. I feel so much better knowing that you're being taken care of, fed, have clean clothes and a warm place to sleep at night and I love knowing that you're safe and out of harm's way" he said quietly as he cupped her cheek gently.

"Can I pay rent or something?" she asked quietly, as she leaned gently against Gohan's hand.

"Tell you what, you can ask my mom that, she and my dad can give you the answer" he said with a laugh, knowing his mother would absolutely refuse to accept any money from the girl she knew would be a part of their family for a long time to come.

"I really do appreciate everything you all have done for me, especially you…but how can I ever repay you and your family back?" she asked quietly, a hint of sadness evident in her voice.

"Tell you what, be happy, eat your food and feel good about yourself. If you really want to help then just help my mom in the kitchen, or even just help with dishes…maybe even just keep Goten occupied" he said with a gentle smile as she looked up and met his gaze.

"I think I could do those things" she said with a grin as Gohan's face contorted to a more serious look.

"Which of those things do you think you could do?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Most of them…" she said quietly as she averted her gaze.

Gohan was about to respond to her comment but was jarred out of their conversation by the loud sounds of Gohan's stomach grumbling to be fed. He blushed lightly as Videl gave him an amused look and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ha…guess I'm a little hungry. We'll finish this conversation afterwards soon alright?" Gohan said sheepishly as he leaned forward and caught a surprised Videl's lips in a sweet kiss.

Once they pulled apart she gave him a meek nod and accepted his hand up. Both stood up and Videl walked over to her bedroom so she could change into clothes for that day. She stood in her bathroom looking in the mirror at her reflection, a surprised look plastered on her face.

'I forgot I had all these pins in my hair still' she thought as she began to reach up and pull all of the little bobby pins out of her hair that her mother had put in the night before. She heard a quiet knock on her door and yelled 'come in' to whoever it was.

A second later she heard Gohan speak. "Hey, are you almost done?" he asked as he walked toward her open bathroom door. He frowned as he stood in the door frame and noted she had adopted baggy clothes again.

'I wonder if this is what my future self meant by how she'll have problems still' he thought, a frown still on his face.

She turned her face slightly and gave him a smile, earning a big grin from him. He couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she looked; her curled hair was pushed over onto the one side of her head, her dark lashes were emphasizing her brilliantly blue eyes, all of which contrasted with her pale skin.

"Whatcha lookin at?" she asked jokingly as she turned back to the mirror and started to take out more bobby pins.

"You're so beautiful" he said with a smile as he leaned against the door frame so she could see him reflection. He frowned again as he noticed how she blushed and muttered a quiet thank you.

They stood there for a few moments in silence as Gohan watched her take the many of the small pins out of her hair. She turned her head again and gave him a bashful smile, "can I ask a favour?" she said quietly.

"Of course" he said as he stood up straight again and gave her a smile.

"Can you look in my hair and tell me if you can see anymore pins in my hair? I think I've got them all out but I wouldn't mind someone taking a second look" she said as she slowly ran her hand along her scalp, trying to feel for stray bobby pins.

He gave her a smile and stepped towards her; he stood close to her and looked closely through her thick locks of hair as he attempted to locate any remaining pins.

She felt herself blush as she felt his fingertips lightly running through her still curled hair, and her blush only grew as she felt his hot breath against the back of her neck.

"You missed…just this one" he said quietly as he reached through her hair and pulled out a stray pin.

Videl felt a shiver go down her spine as he whispered to her while so close to her body, she could feel the heat rising off her face. She looked at her reflection and watched as Gohan wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her hair and his hands on her flat tummy. She was surprised to notice that he wasn't blushing in the slightest, and much to her displeasure, she was still blushing.

"I like this" he mumbled out as he kissed the top of her head and stared into the mirror, watching their reflections.

"Like what?" she questioned as she looked into the reflection of his eyes on the large mirror.

"Hold you like this…it's just…I don't know, comfortable" he said with a grin on his face as he hugged Videl tighter.

"I like being in your arms" she said, earning a light blush from Gohan.

"Good" he said quickly as he flashed her a grin. "Videl?" he asked as he stared into the reflection of her eyes. She looked up at him in acknowledgement and then he continued to speak. "Why are you wearing such baggy clothes again? They barely fit you…in fact…I think that sweatshirt your wearing is one of mine"

Videl blushed "it is yours; I just find it really comfortable. And I don't know, I just feel like wearing something…cozy today" she said, trying to his her discomfort at the thought of showing off her curves.

Before Gohan could respond, the loud grumbling of his stomach interrupted their talk.

Vide arched an eyebrow in amusement as Gohan let a small blush creep to his cheeks. "Is someone a little hungry?" she questioned jokingly as she turned around and poked him in the stomach.

"I think I might be a little hungry…let's go eat" he said as he grabbed her hand gently, being mindful to not harm her injury from the previous night. He turned around quickly to face her, "we'll finish this talk later" he said as he began to lead her down toward the kitchen.

"So what do you want to do later" Gohan asked as they made their way through the many hallways twists and turns.

"I'm not too sure yet…" she said as she drifted off in though, trying to figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of the day.

"We could have a race" Gohan said jokingly as he pictured Videl trying to keep up with his super saiyan speed.

She stopped walked and turned around to face Gohan, a smirk plastered on her face. "What?" he asked cautiously as he gave her a curious look.

Her smirk only grew, then catching Gohan off guard, she smack him in the chest, "You're it!" she yelled as she ran down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Gohan looked dumbfounded for a minute, then realized what she meant by 'you're it'. "Hey, that's not fair" he yelled as he chased after his girlfriend, who already had a pretty good head started.

"Can't catch me!" she taunted as she quickly made her way to the kitchen. She turned around to see how far behind Gohan was and was about to start taunting him as she saw him gaining on him, but before she could do anything she felt herself running into something hard and falling backwards.

As she was falling down she felt someone grab her by the elbows and pull her back up into a standing position. She blushed when she realized what she had done. "Sorry Vegeta" she said with a blush on her cheeks as Gohan laughed lightly in the background.

"Watch where you're going next time" he said in a gruff voice, but a small smirk was present on his face.

Videl simply nodded, embarrassed that she had just run into the strong man as he walked by her. She turned around and looked at Gohan as he had a big grin on his face.

"That's not funny" she stated as his grin grew into his typical smile.

"That was a little funny" he said as she stuck his tongue out at him.

"You're lucky your cute" she muttered as she walked into the kitchen, Gohan following closely behind her.

"Well good morning you two" Krillin said, drawing the attention of a few people who were also in the kitchen.

"Hey, good timing I was just about to make my way up stairs to let you know brunch is ready" Goku said as he stared at the food.

"No one else has eaten yet?" Gohan questioned, it wasn't every day a saiyan went this long without food, especially if that saiyan happened to be his father.

"Actually everyone slept in pretty late. We're still waiting for Aaliyah and Yamcha to make their way downstairs" Chi Chi said as she mixed an egg mixture together. "Gohan, would you be a dear and go get your brother, please?" she questioned as he nodded and left the room to retrieve his little brother.

"Wow, they really hit it off eh?" Videl said out loud as she pictured her mom with the fighter.

"She sure did, they kept making out all of last night" Bulma said as she flipped over some pancakes.

"I'm happy for her…I know Yamcha won't do anything to harm her. And if he does I'll kick his ass" Videl said as she sat down on a chair by the kitchen counter.

"You make an excellent point Videl" Bulma said as she turned to give the teen her full attention.

"Videl, after brunch I'd like to take a look at you arm, clean it out and change your bandages" Bulma said, causing Videl to involuntarily grasp her injured arm.

"Alright Bulma. Chi Chi, would you like me to start taking everything out onto the table?" she questioned as she started to grab a few plates that were piled with food.

"Actually, that'd be a big help" Chi Chi replied, as she pushed the eggs on the frying pan.

As Videl continued to bring the mountain of food out of the kitchen and onto the dining room table, she noticed that both Gohan and Vegeta were walking in, carrying Goten and Trunks. Gohan was holding Goten so his head was resting on his broad shoulder, and Vegeta was carrying Trunks by the seat of his pants.

"Wow, quite the way with children Vegeta" Videl said as she laughed lightly at the sight.

"He won't wake up, the kid sleeps like a damn elephant" he said as he made his way into the kitchen, in hopes that Bulma would take over and try to wake him up.

"You're so cute with kids" Videl said with a smile as she walked over to Gohan while he's holding onto Goten gently.

"He's definitely like my dad; he sleeps like a friggin rock. I've tried everything to wake him up" he said as he looked down at his little brother, who was sound asleep against his big brother.

"Can I try something?" she said with a smile.

"Be my guest" he said as he noticed the mischievous grin on her face. He watched as she stepped forward towards him and leaned her mouth down towards his ear and whispered something quietly.

A few seconds later Goten's eyes shot open, "don't you dare!" he yelled as he squirmed and fell out of Gohans arms and landed head first onto the floor.

Gohan looked down in surprised as Videl laughed lightly at the scene that had just taken place.

"Are you alright squirt?" Gohan asked as he watched his little brother rub his head gently.

"Did I miss it?" Goten asked as he looked up sadly at his brother.

"What did you whisper to him Videl?" Gohan asked as he watched Videl start to laugh a little more.

"I told him I was going to give his breakfast to you and Goku" she said between laughs as Goten pouted lightly.

"That's not funny…I didn't miss breakfast did I?" he asked, a pout still plastered on his sad face.

"No kiddo, you're good, no one's eaten your breakfast yet" Gohan said as he helped his little brother stand up and grin at his girlfriend.

"Good thinking" he said as he gave her a wink.

"Videl…is that you?" Goten asked as he stepped towards his brothers leg.

"It sure is squirt, why do you ask?" she asked as she slowly started to make her way to the kitchen again to continue bringing food out.

"Your hair…is so different. You're very pretty" Goten said as a blush came up on his cheeks and he quickly left the room in search of his best friend.

Gohan frowned again as he noticed a blush came up on her cheeks. 'I wonder if she's feeling self-conscious again' he thought to himself as he studied her in the baggy clothes, her bare shoulder being exposed through the wide neck. He couldn't help but notice how bony her shoulder looked and how her collar bone stuck out.

Breakfast started shortly after, everyone enjoyed the delicious food that had been cooked for all. Gohan kept glancing over at Videl and his frown continued to grow as he noticed Videl really wasn't eating much at all, she seemed the keep pushing her food around her plate more the anything and drinking her glass of water.

He stared at the array of food in front of him, looking for something to try and get Videl to eat so she was at least getting some carbs into her tiny body.

He grabbed a just out the oven chocolate chip muffin, "Videl, you've got to try these muffins my mom made. If you let the butter melt a little, they're to die for" he said as he cut the centre of the muffin open and buttered the inside and handed it to her.

Videl gave a forced smile as she grabbed the warm muffin an put it on her plate. "Looks delicious" she said as she took a small piece off of the muffin and put it in her mouth. "This is really good Chi Chi" she said, she looked over and noticed Gohan was staring at her while he shovelled food into his mouth.

She noticed he was watching her intently play with her food. 'crap, if I don't eat, he's going to get worried' she thought to herself as she took small bites from the delicious muffin.

'Ok…just eat it slowly, then go for a run afterwards' she thought as she continued to eat the muffin, noticing how Gohans gaze never left her. She really was trying to feel more confident, but her father's comments continually ran through her mind, she couldn't help but think that just a few more pounds lost would do her some good.

Gohan stared at her, he felt somewhat satisfied that he had gotten her to eat a whole muffin, but knew deep down that she only did it because she had a plan to get rid of it. He could feel anger rising inside of him as he though back to the words that Hercule had said to her, but felt comforted at the fact that his future self said he would indeed help her get past this thin obsession and help her feel comfortable with herself.

He had noticed that Videl's future looked great, but she also had put on weight since her teen years. It could have been from having a baby less than a year ago, but she looked absolutely fantastic. And he wanted to get his Videl to feel the same way the future Videl felt. But for now he'd simply accept the fact that he was getting her to eat foods, and not just watching her push it around her plate.

While everyone ate their food, Bulma snapped pictures all the while, "Videl sweetie, smile" Bulma said as Videl put her hand on her chin and gave the camera a big grin. "You hair is so gorgeous, we're definitely going to have to curl it again next time we have a party" she said, earning a blush from the teen.

"Here, get a picture of this" Videl said as she pulled Goten closer to her and gave him a hug and grinned at the camera as Goten smiled at the camera as well, the side of his face pressed against Videls.

"Awh, that's adorable, I definitely want a copy of that one" Chi Chi said as she smiled at her son and her son's girlfriend taking pictures together.

"Mom, I believe Videl had something to ask you" Gohan said as he cleared his throat to get his mothers attention.

"what might that be sweetie" she said as she turned to look at Videl.

"Can I pay rent or something?" she asked quietly, having a pretty good idea as to what the answer was.

"You most certainly can now" Chi Chi said sternly as she looked at Videl. "You will stay at our house free of charge. You're family now and you're going to stay where you're safe and sound" Chi Chi stated, leaving no room for argument.

Videl gave a small smile as she looked at the older woman, knowing she was going to say something to that effect.

"If you want to help me around the house that is fine, but other than that I absolutely refuse to allow you to pay rent and Goku agrees" she said as she shot her husband a look.

"That's right!" Goku said as he cleared his throat. "Videl, it's best not to argue with Chi Chi" Goku said with a laugh, "she can be very persuasive" he said as Chi Chi grinned.

"That's right" she said as she grinned at Videl.

"Told you" Gohan said with a laugh as Videl continued to poke at her food.

"Was worth a try" Videl mumbled. She couldn't help but smile at how well the family treated her, she really felt she was now where she belonged.

After breakfast everyone went off their own separate ways to do whatever it was they wanted to do in the large mansion, but Bulma pulled Videl to the side and Gohan followed the two women.

"Let's see how that arm is doing and get it cleaned up" she said as she led Videl to her lab and motioned for her to take a seat in the chair she sat in the previous night. Videl held her arm out and watched as Bulma slowly pulled the bandages away from her skin to reveal where the bullet had hit her.

"Geez, I can see why that hurts" Gohan said as he leaned in to look at the cut. It was still bloody looking and bright red, but a deep dark bruise was now started to form a two inch circle around the wound and it was easy to tell that the bruise would only grow in size.

"We'll have to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't get infected" Bulma mumbled as she started to dab gauze that had been soaked in peroxide onto her wound.

Videl flinched and pulled her arm towards her to only have Bulma pull it back out again. "I know it hurts hun, but we have to make sure it's clean" she said as she watched the peroxide bubble over the wound.

"This is going to make one heck of a bruise" Videl mutter as she desperately tried not to flinch and pull her arm back towards her.

"Bulma, how long do you think she'll have to wear the bandage" Gohan asked as he watched intently.

"Hmm…it's hard to say, it really depends on how well it starts to heal. If it's taking awhile to heal then we'll keep it on longer, but if it's doing well then maybe a few more days. So long as we keep it clean and keep infections out of there she should be alright" she said as she now started to spray her wound with a disinfectant and then wrap her arm tightly with gauze and surgical tape.

"There good as new" she said, receiving a funny look from both teens, "well…relatively new" she said with a laugh as she stood up.

"Alright kids, I'm off to hang out with the girls" she said as she gave the two a wave and walked out of her lab.

"I think I'm going to go for a bike ride or something" Videl said, averting Gohans eyes. She knew if she looked into his eyes he could tell her plan right off the bat.

"Alright, I'll go spar with my dad and I'll meet you later?" Gohan asked as he offered his hand to help her up.

"Sure thing" she said with a smile as he returned it.

"I'll take you to the gym" Gohan said with a smile as he gently held her hand and led her to the gym area. They walked in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company, then once they reached the gym Gohan turned and gave her a hug and a kiss.

"Have fun and don't work too hard" he said as he gave her another kiss and watched as she walked into the gym. As soon as the door to the gym closed his face took on a worried expression, he knew she was going to try and lose weight again, but how could he prevent her from wanting to do so?

He shook his head as h wondered about it and made his way down towards the gravity room where he knew his dad and Vegeta would be.

"Hey Gohan" Goku said with a grin as he watched his son step into the gravity chamber.

"I need to blow off some steam" Gohan said with a smirk as he watched his father's smirk grow in response.

"I challenge you to a duel my good sir" Goku said, using a southern accent to emphasize his point.

"I humbly accept that challenge" Gohan said, like his father speaking in a southern accent and dropped down into a fighting stance. "Let's do this" he said as they two lunged at each other, ready to spar until they were ready to drop.

Two hours later a beaten and bruised Gohan, Goku and Vegeta turned off the enhanced gravity. "Man that felt great" Goku said as he wiped he sweat from his brow and took a deep breath.

Vegeta grunted in agreement as he took a long drink of cold water. Gohan nodded and gave a smile as he agreed as well.

Vegeta started to walk out of the room then Goku stopped him, "Hey Vegeta, where are you going?" Goku asked curiously.

"I'm going to shower, is that alright with you" Vegeta replied rudely as he arched an eyebrow at Goku.

"No that's fine, enjoy" Goku said sheepishly as Vegeta walked out of the room. He looked over to his son and noticed that he seemed to be lost in thought.

"Hey Gohan, something bothering you?" he asked as Gohans eyes jumped back in surprise.

"No nothing I suppose" he replied, still in his own little world.

"So, I noticed you're a terrible liar" Goku said with a laugh as he sat down nonchalantly on the floor.

Gohan sighed as he spoke, "I had gotten Videl to start to feel good about herself…then that ass came yesterday and now she won't eat" he said as he sat down on the floor against the wall beside his father.

"She looked like she was eating this morning" Goku said as he thought back to earlier in the day.

"No I watched her; she just pushed her food around and cut it up. I got her to eat a muffin, but that's all she ate. I'm really worried about her, I know she ate the food, but I'm sure she's got something planned to get rid of the calories. Last I saw her was when she went into the gym. I sure hope she hasn't worked out the whole time" he said, feeling defeated at what Hercule had caused once again.

"I think you should take comfort in the fact that you managed to convince her once and got her to feel comfortable in herself once, so you can probably do it again" Goku said, offering a meek smile to try and cheer him up.

"I had this dream, it was really weird…but my future self said I would get her to feel good about herself again, but I have no idea what to do" he said as he rubbed a sore spot on his arm from the recent spar.

"You saw your future self?" Goku asked, curiously.

"Yea I was in some house and I saw Videl with a baby, then a man appeared and said it was our child and said I would get her to feel good about herself again. Then he said how it wasn't quite the end yet, but it would come soon" Gohan said as he blushed, realizing he told his dad he had a dream about him and Videl having a baby together.

Gohan had been hoping that Goku didn't pick up on that comment, but alas luck was not on his side. "You had a dream that you and Videl had a baby together?" Goku asked in an amused tone of voice.

Gohan allowed a blush to creep to his cheeks, "yea, I walked into this house and I saw a woman that looked like Videl cleaning a mess up that was made by her daughter and then a guy walked in; I couldn't see his face, then out of nowhere he turned and looked at me while they were talking then I could see his face and he looked like an older version of myself" he said, a blush still on his cheeks.

"You're going to have a daughter?" he asked excitedly, "what did she look like?" he asked as his eyes lit up, seemingly looking forward to the idea of being a grandfather some day.

"She was pretty cute I've gotta say; she definitely had Videl's nose, but my eyes, and black hair. It was kind of hard to tell who she looked like most, I found out she was only seven months old" he said, his blush growing deeper.

"Awh…does Videl know about this?" he asked curiously, his grin still plastered on his face.

"Yea, actually she had a dream similar to that before Christmas" he said as he blushed at the excited look he was receiving from his father. "Please don't tell mom, you know how she gets…she'll practically lock us in a room until we give her a grandkid" he said, sending pleading eyes to Goku.

"I promise, I won't tell your mother" he said, earning a relieved look from Gohan. He couldn't help but smile to himself, he knew from past experience that when he and Chi Chi were dating they both had dreams of a son and Gohan was born within the next two years; that sealed it, Videl would someday be his daughter in-law.

"Thanks dad" Gohan said, breathing a sigh of relief, "but do you have any ideas on what I should do for Videl?" he asked as he looked up at the ceiling, almost begging it for answers.

"If you can't make her see the way you feel…maybe make her see it" Goku said as Gohan gave him a confused look.

"I…could you elaborate on that?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow and tried to understand what his father was saying.

"You've been trying to get her understand your point of view, as well as everyone else's correct?" he asked, receiving a nod of agreement from Gohan, "well, maybe use some visual aids to make her understand" he said as Gohans eyes perked up a little.

"That's a great idea…I'm sure Bulma has pictures of her from swimming the other day, hmm…" he trailed off as he was lost in thought.

"Well, I'm happy to help, but I think I'm going to shower, quite frankly I stink" he said jokingly as he waved a hand in front of his face to emphasize his point as he stood up and offered a hand to his son.

Gohan nodded, "I think I'm going to follow your lead on that" he said as he grabbed his hand and stood up and gave Goku a nod in thanks.

"Do you know where Videl is now?" Goku asked as the two men walked towards to door of the gravity chamber.

"Last I saw her she was going to the gym and that was…two and a half hours ago" he said as he looked up at the clock then closed his eyes in concentration, "and it feels like she's still there" he said with a defeated sigh.

"Well, just go shower, think through your plan of attack and go for it. If anyone can do it you can" he said as he offered his son an encouraging smile.

"Thanks dad" he said, offering a meek smile. The two made small talk as they made their way to their respective bedrooms.

"See you later" Goku said as he walked into his room, receiving a wave good bye from Gohan.

Gohan walked into his bedroom and closed the door as he walked towards his bathroom. He turned the hot water on and then proceeded to strip his sweaty clothing off. He turned to face the mirror, revealing his naked body from the waist up.

He looked at his reflection as his thoughts trailed back to the object of his affection. As he stared at his face, he couldn't help but notice how a smile had unconsciously graced his lips. He sighed as he turned around from the mirror and stood in the hot shower.

He closed his eyes as the water hit his well toned body, 'I will help you get over this Videl. I promise you' he thought to himself as he came up with his plan of attack on bring Videl's confidence back up again. The hot water helped him relax as he smiled to himself.

'Perfect' he thought as he grinned to himself and enjoyed the relaxing shower. After his shower he would try and get Videls confidence back up and make her happy again.

~*~

What's Gohans plan of attack? Will he get Videl's confidence back up or will it all fail? Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please read and review!! And again, sorry it took so long!

On a side note, I'd like to say may both Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson rest in peace. Farah was a beautiful soul who tragically lost her long fight against cancer; may her beauty live on forever in her memory. Michael may have had a weird personal life, but aside from that he was immensely talented, a great vocalist and an incredible dancer who changed a whole generation of music and who will forever be known for that. May he be remembered for his talent and not his personal life. May the rest in peace.


	16. Problems Confronted

Alright guys here is chapter 16; I apologize for the wait my life has been quite hectic and annoying lately and it's prevented me from writing.

I'd love to thank everyone for their reviews…101 baby, I'm so proud! As a thank you I'm going to offer a treat per say…haha but you have to read the chapter to find out what it is!!! Anyways, here is chapter 16, please do enjoy!

Chapter 16:

After Gohan had his shower he quickly dressed in loose, comfy track pants and put on a black t-shirt. He had a small smile on his face, feeling confident that this would be how he somehow managed to convince Videl she has every reason to be confident.

He made his way through the hallways until he located Bulma. He smiled as he knocked lightly on the door, drawing the attention of his mother, Videl's mom, as well as 18 and Bulma.

"Hello sweetie, how was your spar with your father?" Chi Chi asked as she smiled warmly at her eldest son.

"It was pretty good thanks, certainly was a great workout" he said as he stepped towards them.

"What brings you to us Gohan? Would you like some tea?" Bulma asked, offering him a seat on one of the plush couches.

"Actually, I'm on a bit of a mission" he said, earning the attention now of all of the women. "Bulma, do you have any pictures of Videl's body? Like more of her in her bathing suit or something?" he blushed instantly when he saw the smiles cross the women's faces.

"It's not what you think" he protected as his blush deepened and he frantically waved him hands in front of him.

"Why would you need pictures of Videl, barely wearing clothing" Bulma asked, grinning as she enjoyed watching the teen frantically try to defend himself.

"Gohan, don't be thinking dirty thoughts about her, she's a nice girl" Chi Chi said as she took a sip of her tea, amusement playing on her features.

"What do you need the pictures for?" Aaliyah asked, hoping she would give the teen a window of opportunity to explain his reasoning's.

Gohan took in a deep inhale, trying to calm his blush, "She's gone all self conscious again, and I think it's because of the whole ordeal with Hercule last night. I was talking with dad about ideas to trying and persuade her, and he suggested using visual aids, which is why I came here to see if you have any pictures of her, some she didn't know where being taken. I want to show her she's pushing herself to be too small" Gohan said, the smile dropping from each of the women's faces.

"How can you be sure she's having problems again?" Aaliyah questioned concern evident in her voice.

"I watched her at breakfast; she really didn't eat a thing. I got her to eat a muffin but she went to the gym afterwards and I'm sure she's been exercising for the whole time" he said as he looked at the clock on the wall, "three hours now" he said as his face looked defeated.

"I had thought she ate this morning" Chi Chi said as she thought back to earlier that day.

"I was watching her, she just cut her food up and pushed it around her plate" he said as he sat down on a chair beside Bulma.

"I think I can help you out" Bulma said as she stood up and left the room.

Gohan looked towards his mother and gave her a confused look. "Where's she going?" he asked in a confused tone.

"Beats me" his mother shrugged as she took another sip of her tea, "I think it's wonderful that you're doing this though, you're such a sweet boy" she said as she put her tea down and gave her son a smile.

Gohan blushed at her comment then smiled as he heard Bulma walked back into the room with a hand full of pictures.

"You're in luck, I've got five pictures of her from swimming the other day…and Aaliyah got two pictures of her when we were trying the dress on her" she said as she placed the pictures on the table.

"She does look thin…" Chi Chi mused quietly as she stared at the pictures of Videl, noticing how her collar bone and ribs were clearly evident.

"I don't get how she manages to still have ample breasts when she's whittling herself away" 18 said, causing Gohan to blush.

"Oh wow you're right…they are big for a girl her size" Bulma noted as she stared at the picture of the teen.

"It's not like she looks horrible" Gohan mumbled as he lifted pictures up and stared at his girlfriends features, "she just…she looks frail" he commented, his voice sounded almost sad.

"She really could be a model" Bulma said as she picked up the picture that they had show at the slide show the previous night, where she had her hands in her hair and was puckering her lips as she gave a seductive look with her eyes.

Gohan looked over as she handed him the picture, unconsciously smiling to himself as he stared at how beautiful his girlfriend was, "this is definitely a picture I want to keep" he said with a grin. He shook his head, remembering his original goal and stood up. "Thanks a million Bulma, I hope it works" he said as he collected the pictures into a neat pile.

"No problem Gohan, I hope it works!" she said as everyone waved to him as he walked out of the room.

Once Gohan had closed the door Chi Chi exhaled a sigh, "I sure hope he helps her…it'll be hard for her to have kids with him some day if she's too small" Chi Chi said as she stirred her tea a little.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

Gohan made his way through the hallways until he reached the gym area. He exhaled a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding as he reached out and grasped the handle for the door.

He pushed the door open and heard loud music echoing through the room. He noticed that Videl was running on the treadmill, going a pretty fast pace.

He took a step forward as she continued to run to the fast paced song. He was just out of Videl view and could see she had been clearly running for a long time; her hair was up in a pony tail but the few strands that hung loosely were now matted to her skin as small beads of sweat slowly dripped down her face.

Gohan frowned as he noticed that she was still wearing the baggy clothing, he looked around and saw the stereo system was close to him so he stepped towards it and turn it off.

The sudden silence startled Videl, causing her to scream in surprise and loose her balance and fall off of the tread mill.

"What the…?" she asked out loud as she felt herself being caught before she hit the ground.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Gohan said sheepishly as he helped her stand on her feet.

She leaned down on her knees, panting as she tried to catch her breath, "what…brings…you…here?" she asked between pants while wiping the sweat from her face.

"Have you been working out the whole time?" Gohan asked as he went to the counter and filled a glass up with water and handed it to her.

"I haven't been…working out that long" she said as she took a long drink of her glass of water.

Gohan raised an eyebrow as he stepped towards the treadmill to turn it off. He pressed the button to turn it off and the screen flashed with the final statistics saying she had been running an average speed of 8 km per hour and had managed to burn off a thousand calories. Next it flashed that saying that she had been running at this speed for three hours and five minutes.

"You've been running for over three hours?" He asked surprised as he looked towards her and watched her try and come up with an excuse quickly.

"Boy time sure flies when you're having fun?" she offered, earning a frown from Gohan.

"You ate a muffin, at most it was three hundred calories, and you've clearly overdone it" he said, upset at the fact that she had burned off so many calories without putting any energy back into her small body.

"I ate more than that" she protested only to have Gohan's frown deepen.

"You didn't and you know you didn't; I watched you, all you did was push food around your plate until I got you to eat the muffin and even then you were reluctant to eat it" he stated as he folded his arms in front of his chest, showing that he was willing to argue with her if need be.

"So I'm watching what I eat and I'm exercising a bit, there's nothing wrong with staying in shape" she countered.

"There is if you're going too far with it, you're trying to lose weight" he stated flatly, his eyes meeting hers.

"There's nothing wrong with losing the last few pounds to maintain a healthy body" she once again protested.

Gohan heaved a heavy sigh, "go get changed into something that actually fits you. We need to talk" he said as he looked back at her and was met with her confused gaze.

"What do we need to talk about? And why do I have to change?" she asked curiously.

"I'll tell you shortly, but for now put something on you that fits" he stated once again receiving a strange look. "I swear I'll take those baggy clothes off you right now if you don't go and do it yourself" he said, earning a surprised look.

"You wouldn't" she challenged, narrowing her eyes and trying to call his bluff.

Within a second Gohan stepped towards her and grabbed the hem of the oversized sweatshirt. "Want to bet?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

She stayed quiet for a moment, and then gasped as she felt the bottom of her shirt slowly rising to reveal her flat stomach. The shirt reached the top of her abs went her hands quickly pushed it back down, revealing her face, a blush tinting it.

"You win" she muttered as he motioned for her to follow him back to their rooms.

They walked in silence up towards her bedroom and once they arrived at the door she quietly went in to change into something that fit a little better. A few minutes later she walked out in loose black track pants and a form fitting navy blue tank top. As she walked out of the room Gohan smiled a little, happy to see her not hiding herself and watched as she zipped up a black hoodie.

Gohan reached his hand out for her to grasp and then led her in a direction she had never been in before. Again, they walked in silence for a few minutes then Gohan opened the door and motioned for her to go in. She walked into the strange room, it was relatively plain looking; it had two plush couches sitting across from one another with a black marble table in between. Gohan had come there earlier, so there were all the necessary things needed to make tea if wanted.

She followed him silently and watched as he sat down on a couch and motioned for her to follow his lead and sit beside him.

Videl fidgeted nervously with the zipper of her hoodie, too nervous to say anything. She desperately tried to avoid eye contact with Gohan; she knew where he was going to go it was just a matter of how quickly he wanted to get there.

"Why are you doing this?" Gohan asked bluntly, surprising Videl.

"Doing what?" she questioned in a shaky voice; she tried to maintain eye contact, but found it very hard under his gaze.

"You know what I mean…you had made such progress, then one night that ass shows up and you've completely gone back to your old ways, your old _unhealthy _ways" he said, making sure he emphasized his point.

"I think I'm more trying to become healthy" she said quietly, avoiding her gaze from his.

"Videl, can I show you something?" he questioned as he pulled out an envelope from under the couch. He laid a picture out of a woman in a bathing suit; it was in fact a picture of Bulma, he just blocked her face out and any identifying features. "What do you think of this woman" he asked bluntly, placing the picture of the woman in front of Videl on the marble table.

"She looks like she's pretty in shape" she mumbled as she stared at the picture of the mystery woman.

"What about this one?" he said, pulling a picture of his mother out, again, any identifying features had been blocked out.

"She has a beautiful body" she once again muttered as she stared at the pictures. She felt that he was simply showing her pictures of herself, she felt all he was doing was proving her point of how she was becoming healthier.

"And this one?" he asked as he put a picture of Aaliyah up.

"Gohan all you're doing is proving how healthy I am" she said as she looked up and gave him a stern look.

"Just answer the question please" he said, matching her stern voice.

Videl heaved an exasperated sigh and replied, "She looks great" she muttered.

He then pulled out a picture of Videl that her mother had taken when they had her try on her dress; Aaliyah had been so worried at how thin her daughter looked, she took a picture as proof for Gohan while the girl was blindfolded.

"How about this woman?" he asked, he watched Videl's eyes open wider as she examined the thin frame of the picture of the woman in front of her. "Is she fat? Does she have a big bum? Is she in shape?" he questioned, watching her for a response.

"I don't look anything like that" she said as she stared at the picture of his mysterious girl with her arms in the air; her ribs and hip bones were all clearly visible as were the thin muscles of her stomach.

He then pulled out two more pictures of Videl from when they went swimming, but this time left her face uncovered.

"I'm bigger then that" she said quietly, shock evident in her voice.

"No, no you're not" he said firmly, showing her that he wasn't joking.

"But…dad always said…" she trailed off as she stared at the pictures of her from swimming the other day.

"Videl, your father has been lying to you; he's been telling you these things so he can bring you down and control you. You are an abuse victim in so many ways and this was one of them. Videl, I'm so worried about your health and I don't know what else I can say to convince you of that" Gohan said as he grasped her hands lightly and forced her to look into his eyes.

"You changed the picture" she said in an accusing voice as she narrowed his eyes at him and pulled her hands away.

"I did not" Gohan defended as he picked up a picture and stared at the frail frame. "I would never do something like that to convince you of something".

"If I look like that…why was I always called fat ass…why do I look so much bigger in the mirror" she said, her voice quivering with confusion.

"You are so unbelievably beautiful, you really are and I guess you father didn't want you feeling superior to him so he found ways that effected you most to bring your confidence level down. You look a different size in the mirror, because you've convinced yourself that you're that big…but you're not" he said softly as he saw she was on the verge of tears. This was good; this affirmed his thoughts of finally getting through to her.

"I don't look like that, that is so…gross" she said quietly as she felt a tear slowly make its way down her cheek.

"Videl…you're borderline of having a big problem…you can't not eat for a day, same with you can't eat something small like a muffin, then work off three times it's calories…that's how you get that skinny" he said, he was clearly worried about her, but wanted to get his point made firmly.

"How can you find something…like that" she said as she motioned to pictures of herself, "attractive" she said quietly, almost afraid of what he'd day.

"Videl looks aren't everything, not that I'm saying you don't have them because trust me you do. I'm attracted to your personality, your sense of humour, the way you make me feel, the way I feel like I'm in a better mood just by seeing your smile" he said as he cupped her cheek lightly and brushed a tear away with his thumb.

"The size of your body doesn't matter to me, but you feeling happy and confident in your own skin does" he said as she desperately tried not to meet his dark eyes. "In my dream, where we had a daughter together" he couldn't help but smile at that thought, "you were heavier than this, by like twenty pounds, and you still looked absolutely incredible. Want to know why you did? Because you were comfortable in your own skin and you felt great and it only made you look that much more attractive" he said, still smiling lightly.

"You think I should put on twenty pounds?" she asked quietly as she lifted her eyes to meet her gaze.

"I'm not saying that, but I am saying you certainly shouldn't try and loose more weight, or you'll be a stick with boobs" he joked lightly, hoping to get a smile out of her.

"I just don't get it…why would my dad say such things" she said quietly, another tear falling from her eyes.

Gohan heaved a deep sigh, "I don't know why he would, I really don't V. But I can promise you that no one in this house, let alone the world other than your jerk of a father would argue that you're overweight. If anything you're under" he replied, hoping to convince her that it was indeed the truth.

"I just…I don't get it. How can that be me, but I see something so completely different?" She questioned, not really expecting an answer.

"V, you dad has gotten into your head and convinced you that you're some overweight, homely person, but you aren't. That's why I'm hoping to get in your head and convince you otherwise" he said as he pulled out another picture and smiled to himself. "How did you feel about your appearance yesterday" he asked, as he continued to stare at the picture.

"I felt…good. At least until my dad came and told me I looked like a fat ass slut" she said, casting her glance away again.

"Bulma gave me this picture of you, see how confident you look? You look like you could go and take on the world" he said as he handed her the picture. The picture was of her last night when she was all dolled up for the ball; she had been joking around and struck a pose, but the picture conveyed such confidence and pride that it was almost intimidating.

"I looked like that yesterday?" she said, surprised at her own appearance.

"You did" he said with a smile as she turned to meet his gaze. "V, look, I'm sorry if this is annoying you, but I'm really worried about you. I'm not asking you to gain a whole bunch of weight, I'm just asking that you stop trying to lose it because to be honest with you, yes, a few pounds can hurt someone" he said, worry plastered all over his face.

"I don't know what to say" she whispered, as she continued to stare at the picture of her from last night.

"Alright, let's put it this way. How many times have you said you wanted to repay me for my kindness, or my family's kindness?" he questioned a small smirk on his face, hoping that his plan here would work.

"I've said it a few times" she said quietly, giving him a confused look.

"The only thing in the world I want is for you to become happy in your own skin, and confident in yourself. No more body bashing, no more listening to that idiot of a father you have, and no more thinking it'll be ok to skip meals and work off a ridiculous amount of calories" he said as he watched her stiffen in surprise.

"I had meant I could repay your family with money or something" she said, leaning back against the plush couch.

"Videl, it's the simple things in life we forget and there's no need to make something so easy so complicated. I simply want your happiness, and I can promise you, that is all my family wants as well" he said as she looked up, her face holding a slightly surprised expression. "To quote a song; you're chasing a dime losing a treasure, those dollars to make sense to us at all. Meaning, we'd rather you be happy, then us be rich"

"Out of everything you could have, you just want me to eat?" she asked, she was unsure of what to think of what he had just said.

"Well, yes that is part of it. But I want you to be that sexy, confident girl I fell in love with" he said, earning a smile from her.

"I don't know if I can do it on my own" she whispered, hoping he hadn't heard her.

"I would never expect you to go at it alone, I want to help you" he said as she gave him a small smile.

"What kind of things should I do?" she asked quietly.

"If someone compliments you, don't brush it off, accept it. Don't listen to a word your father says, don't tell yourself you need to lose weight; look in the mirror and tell yourself that you're gorgeous. Don't think about how eating is going to make you blimp out, think about how much energy it's going to give you to take on the busy day" he said, listing the things off his fingers, clearly having put some thought into it previously.

He stared as her as he went silence, curious to see what her reaction would be. All she did was stare at her hands while she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. He could tell by the slight quivers in her shoulders that she was crying quietly.

He reached out and took her small hands in his large ones. "Look, I know this isn't easy, and I know you're going to need help; I want to help you and so does my family…. So will you try to become happier with yourself and more confident?" He asked, he was almost pleading her to agree to make a change.

She inhaled deeply and released her breath, "I want to make you happy" she said, a small quiver was evident in her voice.

He moved to kneel in front of her and held her hands in his, "so…?" he questioned, giving her a pleading look.

"If you feel that me becoming more confident will make you happy, then I want to make it happen" she said as she slowly raise her eyes to meet his. She smiled lightly at the big grin he was giving her.

"It would make me the happiest man alive" he said excitedly as he pulled her forward and gave her a tight hug.

She raised her arms and returned the hug, he rocked her slowly back and forth while rubbing her back, and she could tell that he still had a huge grin plastered on his face.

"I love you so much" he whispered into her hair while he continued to hug her tightly.

"I love you too….I can't believe this is how you want me to repay your kindness. Gohan, you're too magnificent" she said as he pulled her away and captured her lips before she could say another word.

They made out quietly for a few minutes then Gohan pulled away, "let's go join everyone else and see what they're up to" he said as he pulled her to her feet.

"Sure" she said quietly as he returned her smile. Gohan gave her a weird look for a moment then got a mischievous grin. "What?" she questioned suspiciously as he continued to grin at her. Before she could say anything else he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, causing a surprised scream to leave her lips.

"Gohan, what are you doing?" she said with a laugh as Gohan walked out of the room and started walking down the hallways.

"Nothing, just wanted to try something different" he said with a laugh as he continued to carry her through the twists and turns of the hallways.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind could you drop me off at my bedroom, I need a shower" she said as she poked his muscular shoulder to knock him out of his happy stupor.

"Hmm, good point" he said as he turned down different hallways, leading them down the familiar one where their bedrooms were. He gently placed her back onto her feet and grinned at her.

"I'll be like…half an hour, that alright?" she questioned only to receive his typical smile.

"I'll be here when you're done my lady" he said with a bow as she leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss.

"See you in a bit" she said with a wink as she closed the door to her bedroom and walked silently into the bathroom to go and shower.

Gohan grinned at the closed door; a feeling of self satisfaction overwhelmed him. "I sure hope she meant it" he whispered as he turned on his heels to head to where ever his family was.

He walked down to the large living room and saw his father on a couch with Goten sitting on his lap as well as Trunks sitting on the other side of the couch; all three of them were watching Family Guy and laughing.

"Ha, how could a horse be a murderer?" Goten said through his giggles at Goku and tried not to knock his son off his lap.

Gohan walked in and his father quickly took noticed and turned to greet his son. "Hey Gohan, I take it things went well" Goku commented as he noticed this grin his eldest son was still displaying.

"I didn't think it was going to work, but we talked for about an hour, and she agreed to make a change. Dad, thank you so much, you're a genius" Gohan said as he flopped on the couch beside his father and brother.

"What'd she say?" he asked curiously, happy to see that his idea worked well.

He watched Gohan reach into his pocket and pull out a rolled up envelope and opened it, "First I showed her these pictures and asked her what her opinion was on them" Gohan said as he pulled out the picture o Bulma, Chi Chi and Aaliyah.

"This one looks like your mother" Goku commented as he saw the pictures, correctly identifying his wife. "Wow, they look great for their age" Goku said as he looked at all three of the pictures.

"See, she thought I was showing her pictures of herself, she told me I was just proving how healthy she was. Then I showed her these pictures" he said as he handed Goku the pictures of Videl in her bikini and the two Aaliyah had taken.

"Wow, she really is scrawny" Goku said quietly as he looked through the pictures. "Holy! She really is thin" Goku commented as he looked at the one the Aaliyah had taken without Videl knowing.

"Gohan, is Videl sick? She looks…small" Goten commented, unsure of how to correctly word his comment.

"No, she's not anymore, but I'm going to need your help with getting her healthy again" Gohan said as Goku handed the pictures back to Gohan. "She was amazed that she looked like that and even accused me of changing the pictures. She had trouble understanding how she could see an image that was so different of herself in a mirror when the pictures of her that had been taken, in her words, made her look gross" he said as he stretched out against the couch.

"I explained to the best of my abilities that it's probably because her dad distorted her image of herself. Then she argued with me a bit and I told her if she wanted to repay me and my family for our kindness this would be the way to do it" he said as he turned to look at his father while he spoke.

"She then said she wanted to make me happy and if that would make me happy then she wanted to take part in it" he said with a smile on his face as he pulled out another picture of her, the one from last night where she looked confident. "I showed her that picture, and she couldn't believe how good she looked" he said as he handed Goku the picture.

"I've got to hand it to you Gohan, you definitely picked a pretty one, there's no doubt about it, she's a looker" he said as examined the picture of Videl. "You two make an awesome couple" he said earning a blush from Gohan.

"Thanks dad, but I've got to ask a favour of you guys if that's alright" Gohan said as he tried to control his blush.

"Can I help Gohan?" Goten asked as he put his hands together, begging.

"Yep, I need your help too squirt. I need you to compliment Videl every now and then, just to boost her confidence. Same with if it looks like she's not eating, try and encourage her to eat, and please don't say anything insulting about her appearance" He said as he watched his brother and father nod in agreement.

"Why would we insult Videl?" Goten asked confused, not understanding how anyone could insult one of the most awesome people he knows.

"I don't think we would squirt, but there are bad people out there that would…" he said, trailing off as he thought about Hercule.

"I promise Gohan, I'll make sure no one is mean to Videl" Goten said, a determined look plastered on his face.

"You were pretty brave standing up for her yesterday Goten. And that was pretty smart thinking with her arm" Goku said as he ruffled his youngest sons hair.

"You're a hero squirt" Gohan said, earning a blush and grin from his youngest brother.

"What kind of things should I say to Videl?" Goten asked as he put a hand to his chin and rubbed it in thought.

"Yea, what kind of things did you have in mind Gohan?" Goku asked relaxing on the couch, Goten still sitting on his lap.

"Hmm…Well, if you think she looks good one day, let her know. If she's skating or playing hockey or whatever, if you think she's doing well, make sure she knows it and doesn't brush it off. But the most important thing I want you guys to look out for, is whether or not she's eating" He said a worried expression flashed across his face.

"If it looks like she's just pushing her food around, tell her something tastes really good and put some on her plate and get her to eat it. That's my main concern, getting her to start eating again" he said, rubbing his eyes, this whole event was emotionally tiring.

"I think I can get her to eat" Goku said as Goten nodded in agreement.

"You guys are a really big help, thanks" Gohan said as he received a grin from both his brother and father.

"Where is Videl?" Goten asked, a mischievous grin on his face.

"She should be just getting out of the shower…why do you ask?" Gohan asked, he always got a little nervous when Goten got that smile on his face.

"No reason, Trunks and I wanted to talk to her" He said as he looked over at Trunks who nodded and stood up. "See you guys later" he said, smiling innocently as he and his best friend walked out of the room quietly.

"It scares me when they act like that" Goku said as he scratched the back of his head.

"No kidding, I'm afraid for Videl" Gohan said in a worried tone of voice.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

"Do you really think she'll have any good ideas Trunks?" Goten asked as they made their way to Videl's bedroom.

"Come on, Gohan wouldn't date an idiot. Do you not remember the time she filled my dad's gravity room up with bananas? Trust me Goten, she'll have a good idea of what we can do for a prank" trunks said confidently as they now stood in front of her bedroom door.

~*~Meanwhile~*~

Videl stood in front of her foggy mirror, a towel wrapped around her small frame. She rubbed her hands on the mirror to clear the fog so she could get a clear view of herself. She slowly let the towel drop onto the ground and stared at her naked form.

'Am I really that small?' she thought to herself as she turned to the side so she could see the profile view of her body. "Now that Gohan mentions it…I guess I am a little smaller then I thought" she said quietly as she rubbed her hand lightly along the side of her body, feeling her ribs peeking out against her skin.

'I can do this' she thought to herself as she pulled her towel back up from the ground and wrapped it back around her body.

She walked out to her temporary bedroom and made sure her door was locked. She went to her drawer and pulled out a bra and underwear and threw them on her bed. She then walked to the large stereo and turned it on. She smiled as she heard the song and turned it up; Beyonce's Single ladies was playing loudly.

She dropped the towel and moved her hips as she made her way to the bed to put her bra and underwear on. (**Author's note: Ok, I'm not going to lie, I can't even begin to guess how many times I've been changing and start dancing in the process. Haha back to the story**) Once she was partially dressed she continued to dance to the upbeat, empowering song as she made her way to the closet.

She smiled to herself; she was going to prove to Gohan that she could do this. With the she grabbed a pair of pants that she hadn't worn before, a pair of snug black jean pants. She continued dancing as she put the pants on. After seeing the music video so many times, she had managed to pick up most of the original dance so she started doing that as she thought about what shirt she wants to put on.

She grabbed a short sleeved turquoise turtle neck on and slipped it over her small frame. She stopped dancing and looked at herself in the mirror doors of her closest. She couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive as she looked at her frame, but smiled despite her discomfort, noting how the clothes were definitely form fitting.

Before she could come across another thought, or bust a new move she heard a knock on the door. She smiled assuming that it was Gohan and walked to the bedroom door and unlocked it. She looked surprised for a moment when she didn't see her tall boyfriend standing in front of her, then she looked down and saw a smaller version of him and his best friend.

"Hey guys, what can I do for you?" she asked with a smile as the two boys looked surprised for her.

"Wow…you look really pretty Videl" Goten said, a blush on his cheeks as he fidgeted.

Videl could feel a blush coming on her cheeks, but decided to take Gohans advice. "Thanks Goten" she said, forcing a smile out.

"Videl, we want to play a prank on my dad. Do you think you can help us out?" Trunks asked as he leaned against the door frame.

Videl brought her hand to her chin for a moment, then as she heard the music blaring she grinned, "I think I may have a great idea Trunks. Come in you guys, the walls have ears" she whispered the last part earning a confused look from Goten.

"Where are their ears Videl?" Goten asked as he started to lightly feel the wall lightly.

"Trunks, do you have any footage of your dad on your video camera?" Videl asked as she sat down on the large bed.

"Ha yea, I've got lots, most of it is him getting angry and threatening me though" he said as he sat down on the couch, watching Goten feel for ears on the walls.

"Go get your camera, I'll dry my hair while you're getting it. We are going to make a video" she said with a grin as he nodded his head and ran out of the room.

~*~ A Few Hours Later~*~

Videl, Goten and Trunks all sat on Videl's bed, laughing at their creation.

"Videl, you're a genius! This is so amazing" Trunks said as he wiped the tears away from his eyes as he watched their video.

"What do you guys say, should we screen this puppy to everyone after dinner?" Videl said, as she took a deep breath in, trying to calm herself after watching their creation.

"That's a great idea Videl….what should we do to kill the time till then?" Goten asked, as he caught his breath after his laughing fit.

"Wait, Videl didn't you say you used to play hockey?" Trunks asked as he jumped up from the bed.

"Yep, I used to play rep. Why do you ask?" She questioned as she went and turned off the TV and put the newly created video into a case.

"Let's, go shoot a puck around!" Trunks exclaimed excitedly.

"Sure, why not, let's go" she said with a smile as Goten jumped up excitedly and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, this way" Goten exclaimed excitedly as he pulled Videl towards the outside arena.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

"Hey dad, you want to go for a skate or something?" Gohan asked as he yawned on the couch. He and his father had been playing video games together for the past few hours, and now he felt the need to go and get some form of exercise.

"I think that's where your mother and everyone is" Goku said as he took on a look of thought, as he put the controller down. "Let's go and see what they're up to" Goku said as he turned off the game consul.

The two men got up and grabbed their jackets and quickly made their way to their backyard. They had expected to see everyone going for a skate on the large arena Bulma had created but instead they noticed most of the people were standing on the sidelines watching what was going on.

"Hey guys, what's up" Gohan said as he walked to where everyone was standing.

"Gohan, she's absolutely amazing. I don't think I've ever met such a multi-talented person before" Bulma said as she watched what was taking place on the ice.

"All you do is slide your hand down the shaft of the stick, and while you move the stick transfer your weight from each foot" he heard Videl say, then heard a loud slapping noise and cheering.

"Did you know she played rep hockey?" Chi Chi asked as she gaped at how well the young teen could shoot the puck.

"I knew she played but I didn't know what level" Gohan said with a smile as he watched his girlfriend fire pucks at Trunks, who was attempting to stop them, but was failing.

"Videl, can you something really cool?" Goten asked from his spot on the sidelines.

"You got it squirt….get ready for this Trunks" she said with a smirk as she kicked a puck with her skate and skated away from Trunks. Her smirk grew as she lined the puck up with her stick, standing a fair distance away from the net, "get ready for this!" She shouted as she started skating with the puck, quickly gaining speed. She flipped the puck up on her stick as she skated and hit it up a few times then flipped it back down. She stood just a few feet in front of Trunks, still skating, she quickly faked left and skated backwards and around the net then skated around back to the front and quickly backhanded the puck into the top corner.

"And that is how we do it" she said with a grin as trunks stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Everyone cheered and skated onto the ice and complimented Videl's hockey skills.

"Sweetie, you're awesome" Aaliyah said with a grin as she held onto Yamcha's hand as he nodded in agreement.

"You've got to be one of the most talented people I've met" Bulma said as she skated onto the ice, catching her balance before she fell.

"Ha, that's quite the compliment coming from a genius like yourself" Videl replied, a small blush tinting her cheeks. "I think I'm better with figure skating though" she said with a smile as she noticed Gohan skating up to her.

"V, that was so cool looking; you really rock the winter sports" Gohan said with a grin as he hugged his girlfriend.

"Thank you" she said with a slight blush.

"Come on, let's skate" Gohan said as he grabbed her hand and started skating on the ice.

A few hours past and after everyone had finished skating they all piled into the house where a large and delicious meal was being made. After about an hour everyone was seated and now enjoying a delicious meal that had been cooked.

That is where we are now, everyone sitting around a large dining room table, all enjoying their meal.

"Videl, you've got to try this, it's delicious" Goku said as he put a scoop of scalloped potatoes onto Videl's plate earning a smile from Gohan.

Gohan smiled to himself as he watched his girlfriend slowly eat her plate of food. She wasn't eating a lot, but the point was she was eating a plateful of food and wasn't just pushing it around her plate. He had definitely made some dramatic headway with her and he couldn't help but feel a sense of self satisfaction at that fact.

Trunks loudly cleared his throat, "After dinner, Videl, Goten and I would like to show you a video we made" he said, earning a grin from the other two.

"That's what you were doing?" Gohan asked, after swallowing his large mouthful of food.

"What's it about?" Yamcha asked from his spot beside Aaliyah.

"Oh a bit of this and that…the star of the show is in this very room though" Videl said with a grin as she quickly made eye contact with Vegeta.

"You're not going to tell us more about it?" Aaliyah asked as she cut her chicken.

"It's a secret, you'll have to wait and see just like the rest!" Goten said excitedly as his grin continued to grow.

"This should be good" Goku said with a laugh as he quickly returned to eating his food.

The rest of dinner was pretty uneventful, all were very curious to see what the three had created. After dinner, the remainder of Videl's baking from the night before were served.

"Videl, you can bake for me any day of the week" Goku said as he pushed himself a little from the table and inhaled deeply.

"Alright, we'll do the dishes later…come on everyone into the family room" Trunks said, standing on his chair, as Goten jumped up and down excitedly.

"Alright, I guess the dishes can wait" Chi Chi said as she stood up from the table and everyone followed the two young boys into the family room, everyone taking a seat on a couch or making themselves comfortable on the floor.

"Alright, today Trunks and I asked Videl for her help and we created this music video for you guys, and we hope you enjoy" Goten said with a grin as he put the DVD into the player and pressed play and cranked the volume.

For the second time in Videl's day, Beyonce's 'single ladies' was blaring in the room. The screen was black then as she started cheering for the single ladies in the first few lines of her song; Vegeta came on the screen and appeared to be mouthing the words perfectly to the song as he flailed his arms.

Everyone's jaw dropped as they watched the video. Numerous clips of Vegeta were then played, somehow managing to make the words he was mouthing in the video match the video.

Everyone wanted to speak, but no one could find the words to say anything, a smile quickly growing on their faces as they watched the clips making it look as though Vegeta was single the song that was advocating for single ladies and was dancing and flailing his arms along with it. Then as the chorus came up, a picture of Beyonce's body showed up with, but had Vegeta's face pasted on it. Somehow Trunks had managed to get a picture of Vegeta taunting Goku, so he had a grin and his tongue sticking out.

The two women dancing with Vegeta had the faces of Bulma and Goku pasted on them; Goku's character having a big grin on his face.

"Vegeta, I think I'm a better dancer then you" Goku said as he grinned, and started laughing at the video.

"Kakarot, that it NOT me dancing" Vegeta seethed as everyone started joining in with the laughing.

As the music video ended there was a moment of silence, then everyone fell over they were laughing so hard, well everyone except Vegeta.

"You two are dead" Vegeta growled as he stood up and pointed at the two boys.

"Hey, we only asked Videl what we should do, she created everything" Trunks said frantically as h and Goten started backing up as everyone was still trying to contain their laughter.

"Fine, then the three of you are dead" Vegeta said as he stood up, causing Videl to stand up as well.

Vegeta stood in front of Videl and puffed out his chest trying to intimidate her, but she simply smirked at him and looked up at him.

"Whatcha going to do Vegeta" she taunted, meeting his glare.

"You're dead" he growled as he moved to stand more over top of her.

"See, I don't think that's going to be the case" She said as she smirked once again, angering Vegeta more. "See, say you kill me, and then you've got to deal with a very angry Gohan. Then if for some reason Gohan doesn't managed to finish you off, I'm sure Goku would have something to say to the fact that you killed his sons girlfriend, and I'm sure Chi Chi would have something to say as well as she's already planning grandchildren for the two of us" she said, still smirking as Vegeta's face dropped as he realized she was standing up to him.

"She does have a point" Goku said with a laugh as he watched the stare-down.

"That's true, I have been planning for my grandchild" Chi Chi mused as she watched Videl continue to matched Vegeta's glare.

"I think it's great that the boys are expressing such creativity and I encourage it. Congrats on creating such a hilarious video boys" Bulma said as she put her hand on her husband's shoulder and pulled her way from the tiny girl.

"I've got to admit, that was really funny" Gohan said with a laugh as he stood beside Videl, to offer some form of protection to her.

"We were pretty proud of it" Videl said with a grin, pleased that she had stood up to Vegeta.

"I just thought I'd let you all know, tomorrow morning after breakfast we're all going home, so you boys and Videl, you may want to start packing" Chi Chi said sternly sending them a look telling them that's what they wanted them to do.

The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful; everyone was busy packing their clothes, ready to leave to their respective homes in the morning.

Videl was finished packing her clothes when she heard a soft knock on her door then a few seconds later she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.

"Almost done?" she heard Gohan ask as she put down her sweat shirt.

"Pretty much yea, I just left out some clothes for tomorrow, that's about it" she said as she turned around and returned the hug.

"I can't believe I'm going to be living with you" she said with a smile as he gave her a curious look.

"Is that a good can't believe it, or a bad one?" he asked.

"It's definitely a good one. It's been years since I've lived with a real family; one that doesn't abuse me, this whole past two weeks seems like a dream come true" she said as her smile grew. "Thanks you" she said as she gave him a tight hug.

"You're more than welcome" he said as he returned the hug. "And thank you for starting to keep up your end of the bargain" he said as she averted her gaze.

"It wasn't easy" she mumbled.

"I know that's why I'm so grateful that you're sticking to your end of the bargain" he said as his smile grew.

"This is so surreal…it so much has happened in such a short amount of time" she said as she leaned his head against his broad chest.

"It's only going to get better, I promise. Your life is going to continue to get better" Gohan said confidently as she nodded against his chest.

"I completely agree with you" she said as she looked up and gave him a grin then leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss.

"Want to go and see what everyone else is doing before we turn in?" Gohan asked as Videl nodded and they walked downstairs hand in hand where they noticed most of the group was sitting. A few people had already left for their respective homes, but the bulk of them were still there.

"Gohan, we're watching Family Guy" Goten said with a grin as he noticed his older brother and Videl walking into the large living room.

"I can see that" Gohan said with a laugh as he and Videl took a seat on the couch, only to have Goten quickly jump and sit comfortably on Gohan's lap.

"This is my favourite part" Goku said with a grin, "the cow says shazoo" he said with a laugh.

"It most certainly does not" Goten said with a laugh.

"The rooster goes chicker-re-dee" Goku replied

"Where, where does the rooster say that" Goten said as they all started to laugh.

"Hey mom, I was thinking about it…and where are you going to live?" Videl asked curiously from her spot beside Gohan.

She watched as her mother looked over at her and blushed, "actually, Yamcha invited me to stay at his place. I don't have any more for a house, and didn't want to burden anyone, so he offered" she said with a smile, clearly displaying her feelings towards the former bandit.

"It's no problem, I've got a spare bedroom in the house, and it would be nice to have some human company; gets kind of lonely just hanging out with a flying cat…thing" he said with a nervous laugh.

"Wow, you guys really hit it off" Bulma mused as she watched the two cuddle on the couch together.

Aaliyah looked over at Videl and noticed she seemed almost disappointed. "Don't worry sweetie, I promise we'll talk on the phone and e-mail each other throughout the week. We can even set up a day for when we can all get together and have tea or something. Make it a girl's night and have Bulma, Chi Chi and 18 join us" she said with a smile, hoping her daughter would be alright with this.

"I'd like that" Videl said with a smile. She felt a little selfish for wanting her mother all to herself, but realized her mother went a very long time without the affection of a man, and was probably more than craving for a relationship. It was only fair that her mother begin to relive her new life how she wanted it.

"Excellent, we can switch house each week" Chi Chi said as she lifted her head up from her husband's shoulder as the others nodded in agreement.

The rest of the night was pretty uneventful; everyone talked and enjoyed the shows that were on TV until they felt it was time for them to seek rest in their comfortable beds. One by one each of their group members bid their goodnights and went to bed. Lastly, our two teens now ventured up to bed.

They stood outside in the hallway, each enjoying their comfortable embrace.

"I'm really glad you're going to be living with us" Gohan murmured into her hair, as he silently inhaled deeply.

"I'm glad you guys don't have a problem with it" she replied back, just as quietly.

"I think it's going to be a lot of fun having you live with us" he whispered.

"Ha, I just realized…we've got sooo much explaining to do to Erasa and Sharpener. Granted I'm sure Erasa will be happy, I can't begin to tell you how many time she's told me that you and I should go out, she's going to be thrilled" Vide said with a laugh as she pulled out of the hug slightly so she could look into his ebony eyes.

"She used to tell me too, then said I was too shy because I blushed in a pathetic attempt to tell her that I wanted to just be friends. So much for that eh?" he commented with a laugh. Ever since he had taught her to fly, he had grown to have strong feeling for his small girlfriend, and had always secretly wanted to be more than just friends.

"I had such a crush on you" she said quietly as he grinned at her causing him to blush.

"Are you sure It wasn't Saiyman? I could tell you had the hots for him" he said with a laugh as she rolled her eyes.

"You're so cute as Saiyaman…I never did understand those poses though….they made you look like such a dork " she said as he pretended to pout. "No, I definitely had a big crush on the nerd in my classes" she said with a grin as he gave her a confused look.

"I'm hoping you mean me" he said with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes you dummy, you; you're the biggest nerd I know" she said jokingly as he grinned, he knew he had meant her but loved hearing her say it.

Their quietly laughs slowly died down and they were left staring into each other's eyes. Ebony met cerulean and they continued to hold their gaze, almost afraid to break it.

"I'll see you in the morning?" she said quietly.

"I'll be looking forward to it" he said, just as quietly.

"See you in the morning?" she whispered.

"Just try not too" he whispered back with a grin.

She stood up on her tip toes as he bent down to meet her half way. She wrapped her arms around his neck, "goodnight sweetie" she whispered, blushing at calling him 'sweetie'.

Gohan looked surprised for a moment then returned to smiling, "night sweetheart" he said as she looked up with a smile on her face.

"I think I could get used to these names" she said as her smile grew.

"Good, then you shall receive" he said with a grin as he leaned down and kissed her.

They enjoyed their kiss as they held on to each other tightly, as if they were afraid to let go.

They kissed for a few minutes, every so often Gohans hand would come down and caress her cheek, then slowly make it's wait up to her hair to play with it gently.

Both slowly pulled away simultaneously, "I love you" she said, "good night, I'll see you in the morning" Videl whispered as she received a small kiss from Gohan.

"I love you too" he said with a smile, "I'll see you in the morning….good night" he said as he kissed her one last time then they both parted much to their dismay.

They took a step away from each other and gave each other a smile as they entered their respective rooms.

Videl got changed and climbed into bed, 'things are going to get better, I can feel it' she said with a small smile as she now allowed sleep to overtake her.

In the other room Gohan had just crawled into his bed, 'she's going to get better, I just know it. I'm so proud of my girl' he thought as a state of unconsciousness slowly engulfed him.

~*~

Alright, there is chapter 16! I apologize for the wait, but I've been very busy with school issues and work and stuff. HOWEVER, because I'm so flattered at the fact that I've reached 101 reviews, I'm going to try and get another chapter posted by the end of the week. Originally I was going to skip the details of the next chapter and jump ahead in time, but I think with the next chapter I'll cover extra details before I do a time jump.

Oh if anyone is curious, I got the family guy animal thing from the clip "Stewie and European see and say" It's hilarious if you see it in the episode, or on youtube.

I'd love to thank all of my fans and I really truly hope that I hear more from you with the posting of this chapter. Please tell me what you think and let me know if you like it!!

As I said, I'll do my best to get another chapter out by week's end to express my gratitude.

Thank you all on 101 reviews!


	17. 100 review Special

Alright guys here is chapter 17; I wrote this chapter as a thank you to all my fans out there and in appreciation for the fact that I've no received over a hundred reviews for this story. I really truly hope that I receive more reviews and I get more comments back.

I wanted to post this yesterday, but things came up here that prevented me from doing so; I hope no one minds.

Anyways enough talk, please read, review and most importantly…enjoy!

**Chapter 17: 100 Review Special**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

~*~

Once Gohan and Videl had woken up from their peaceful slumbers, both couldn't believe just how quickly their day flew by. After a large breakfast, everyone was in the front hallway saying their goodbyes.

Videl found that she couldn't thank everyone enough for all that they had done for her and once again did a round of hugs to all of the people who were standing in the hallway; even Vegeta didn't push her away when she gave him a hug, despite being slightly bitter from the whole Vegeta 'Single Ladies' video.

To save time and cut down on transportation Goku did his instant transmission technique so could transport his family as well as Videl and their luggage to their home. Everyone had gotten settled in quickly then Gohan went up to Videl's room to help her get settled in and help to personalize the room so she would feel more at home and feel less like a guest.

Gohan leaned against the door frame as Videl unzipped another suitcase and started to load clothes into the dresser that had been put into her room.

"I got you something" Gohan said, startling Videl and causing her to jump and whiz around from her spot.

"Gohan, you've got to start announcing your presence in a room or I swear I'm going to have a heart attack before the age of twenty" she said as she grasped at her chest jokingly to emphasize her point.

"Sorry" he said sheepishly as he flashed a grin, "I got something for you though" he said as he produced a small box from behind his back.

"Gohan… you've done so much…you didn't have to get me something" she said softly as she sat on her bed and motioned for him to come and sit beside her.

"Well, it's not like I bought anything, and besides I wanted to get it for you. I really hope you like it. I have one similar to this in my room" he said with a grin as he put the small box in her hands.

She gave him a smile as she directed her attention to the box in front of her. She gently pulled on the silver ribbon that was tied neatly across the box as she slowly lifted the lid to the box.

She lifted one of the contents of the box out and slowly unwrapped the tissue paper that surrounded it and smiled warmly at what she had seen. Inside this tissue paper was a framed picture of her and Gohan from the New Year celebration. Both of them had big grins on their face as Gohan had his arms wrapped around her, holding her close as they had been dancing.

"Gohan, its perfect" she said as she continued to smile and kept on staring at the picture of the two of them. 'Wow, we really do make an attractive looking couple' she thought to herself as her smile grew.

"There's more" Gohan said, smiling at the fact she liked the picture.

She lifted up the next item and unwrapped it as well, and once again there was a picture of her from the other night. She felt a small tear come to her eye as she smiled at the picture; it was of her and her mother hugging each other and both smiling at the camera.

"You two really look a lot alike in this picture" Gohan said as he watched Videl quickly wipe the tear away from her face.

"I can't remember how long it's been since my mom and I got a picture together" she said quietly as she continued to smile at the picture of her mother and herself.

"There's still a few more" Gohan said as he lightly rubbed her back.

Videl picked up what she had assumed was another picture and unwrapped it, to find that she was indeed right. Next was a picture of Goku, Goten, Trunks and herself as they were skating on the lake Christmas day. Goku had Goten on his shoulders and an arm wrapped around Videl's shoulder as Trunks gave the camera a peace sign; Goku and Goten both wearing their traditional grins.

Videl then eagerly opened the next picture and found it to be a group picture from Christmas day of everyone that had stood up for her the other night. Everyone was squished together in the Son living room in front of the Christmas tree. She smiled at how shy she and Gohan had looked to be in such close proximity at the time, seeing as they had only started dating that day.

She opened the last picture and her smile grew. The last picture was of Gohan, Marron and herself when they had been baking and Bulma had managed to sneak a picture of them. This was when she and Gohan had been leaning across the counter to offer a piece of pound cake with her lips, with Marron in the background with a mouth full of food.

"My mom said she loved that picture and said you should have a reminder of 'how cute we are'" he said, attempting to mimic his mother's voice for the last part of his sentence.

"I agree with her, it is a cute picture" she said as she allowed her grin to grow into a full blown smile.

"I love them all, thank you" she said as she threw her around his neck, to feel his arms quickly wrap around her in return.

"I'm glad you like them, I wanted you to be reminded of when your life made it's turn around and let you know that you always have people who care about you here" he said softly as he continued to hug her.

"I will never forget any of these moments, and I'm so glad that I have a constant reminder of them now" she said as she continued to hug him tightly, showing how grateful she was.

"I wanted you to feel more like a part of the family too, have your room be more personalized, so you don't feel as though you're just a visitor here. This is your home now and I hope you feel welcomed in it" he said as he pulled away from her and gave her his inherited grin.

"I think I'm going to have to get a copy of every picture that was taken these past few days, I don't even want to risk forgetting any single part of it" she said with a laugh as she pulled away slightly from the hug.

"I'm sure if you ask Bulma, she'd be more than willing to make copies for you" he said as he moved to lie back on her bed.

"I'll be sure to ask her next time I see her" she mused, making a mental note to ask for all the pictures.

"Like I said, I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all. In fact she probably has made copies already for everyone" Gohan said, he knew that if she hadn't made copies yet then his mother probably had made copies of the two of them together.

"So you've got some pictures too?" Videl asked casually as she held onto the teddy bear that Goten had given her for Christmas.

"Yep, I made note of pictures I liked during the slideshow so I got copies of them and now they're in my room" Gohan said with a grin. "I've happily added pictures of you and me to my room. Now that you're more than just a friend, I want to remember very little thing that happens in our relationship" he said with a big grin.

"I'm so glad that you felt the same way for me as I felt about you, I don't what I would do if you told me you felt differently" she said, smiling at the way things turned out.

"Oh please, did you ever really think I wasn't interested in you?" Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow to emphasize his point.

"I had always thought you might be interested…but it seemed too good to be true so I figured it was" she said quietly.

"Yea, the guy who taught you to fly, told you his whole life story, hung out with you every day and followed you around the city to make sure you weren't hurt while fighting crime…haha yea, I never had an interest in you" he said in a sarcastic, joking voice.

"Like I said, it seemed almost too good to be true. Mr wonderful had feelings for me. I mean, I was so rude to you when we first met, I don't know how you ever forgave me" she said with a sad smile at how she used to treat her now boyfriend.

"Videl, that was like a year and a half ago. Times change and clearly people do as well. I think it was more just your curiosity that made you come across as a little mean, because once you found out I was Saiyaman and blackmailed me into teaching you to fly, you quickly turned into this really sweet girl that I fell for" he said as he watched her blush slightly.

"I'm sorry I blackmailed you" she said with a small laugh as he shook his head.

"I'm sure not" he said with a grin, "remember how mad you got when I suggested you cut your hair?" he questioned as he thought back to when their friendship was in its infancy.

Videl felt a blush come up to her cheeks again, "I thought you were telling me how you like girls, I was embarrassed, but I guess it came out more as anger" she said as she started laughing at the memories.

"I remember when you and my mom got into a fight when you first met. Goten and I were in awe, we couldn't believe someone was actually arguing back with our mother, that was definitely a clue that you were something special" He laughed at how angry his mother at been with her, but she had quickly grown to like Videl the more she saw the teenager.

"Man…I can't believe how long ago that was" Videl said as she grinned as they discussed their trip down memory lane.

"I'm glad everything happened the way it did, because in the long run, it was definitely worth while" he said as he leaned forward and pecked her lips and allowed his grin to grow. "For starters, I don't have to ask for permission to do that" he said earning a laugh from Videl.

"No you certainly don't" she said as she returned the kiss.

Their kiss was interrupted by the sound of Chi Chi's voice echoing through the small, cozy house; "Gohan, Videl, Goten, come down for some lunch" she called from the kitchen.

"We better go, I don't want to face her fury" Gohan said with a laugh as the two of them walked down stairs and joined Chi Chi and Goku at the dining room table. They took a seat as they noticed Goku was struggling to not dive into the food right then and there.

"So are you two excited for school tomorrow?" Chi Chi asked as everyone dished out food and filled the plates on the table.

Videl looked surprised for a moment before she spoke, "I completely forgot we started school tomorrow. Wow time really flew by huh?" Videl said in astonishment as she slowly loaded her plate with food.

"Time did seem to go by really quickly" Gohan said as he started eating his food quickly to fill his large appetite.

"Well, you two did get an extra day off when Videl was sick, so I expect both of you to go back to school tomorrow. Or else" Chi Chi said as she gave the two a stern look, earning a nod from the two as they ate their food.

"Videl, this is going to be so cool having you live here" Goten said excitedly as he swallowed his food.

"I'm going to warn you now Videl, Goten loves waking people up in the morning" Goku said as he quickly took a drink of water then proceeded with stuffing his face.

"I'd much rather Goten waking me up then ways I've been woken up before" she said quietly as a flash of grim memories flooded her mind.

"Well sweetie, if anyone tries any funny business here, which I know they won't, I promise you they will regret it" Chi Chi said as she buttered her sandwich. "I want you to try and get past what that man did to you, and I want you to start feeling as though you're a part of this family" Chi Chi said as she gave the girl a sweet smile.

"Thank you Chi Chi, I really do appreciate everything you all have done for me" Videl replied.

"Mommy even let me put your picture on the wall" Goten said as he excitedly pointed at the wall where the family pictures were kept. Indeed there was a picture of Videl on the wall, then another one of Videl with the son family sitting on the fire place.

"I'm so touched by all of this" Videl said as she offered them all a smile.

"Act like an outsider, and I'll tickle you" Goku said with a grin as he grabbed more meat for his tenth sandwich.

"I'll do my best Goku" Videl replied with a laugh and held her hands up in defence.

"We're being serious here, no asking if you can 'please get this' or 'may I use that' you want you take, got it?" Gohan said as he began making his next sandwich.

"I'll do my best, I promise" Videl said with a smile, she couldn't believe how willing this family was to accept her in their home and treat her as if she was one of their own.

"You better" Chi Chi said with a smile.

"Or else" Goten warmed as he wiggled his finger to emphasize his point.

"Ok, ok I get it" she said with a laugh and held her hands up defensively; she couldn't help but enjoy the playful scolding she was receiving.

"We just want you to be comfortable in our house sweetie; you're a part of the family now and we hope to keep you around" Chi Chi said as she smiled warmly and finished her first sandwich.

"I really do appreciate all that you guys have done for me, and I love you all more than words can express" she said, returning the warm smile.

"Oh, V, I usually leave for school in the morning around quarter to eight, gives me time to fly and walk around the school for a few extra minutes. Is that alright with you?" Gohan questioned as he put half of his thirty-ninth sandwich down.

"That works for me…" she trailed off as a thought popped into her head and she smacked her head to scold herself.

"Is everything alright V?" Gohan asked, confused as to why she just smacked herself in the forehead.

"Yea, I just realized I forgot some of my note books and textbooks back at my dad's place. Crap!" she said again as she started shaking her head.

"Well, we obviously can't go during the day, so why don't we go tonight?" Gohan asked, earning a small smile from Vide.

"I suppose that could work. Usually he's got some skank in the house by then, or is drunk so that should work" She said as she thought of what possibilities her father could be doing for the night.

"My dad could instant transmission us there. That was if Hercule tries something, there are two of us protecting you instead of just me" Gohan answered, looking satisfied with him.

Goku let a laugh escape his lips, "Gohan, do you really think I'd be able to do anything if you got angry with Hercule? I've seen how you fight, the more emotionally attached you are to something, the stronger you get" He said earning a small blush from Gohan.

"You know just as well as I do if Hercule hurt Videl and you were there, I wouldn't get a single shot in because you'd be all over him like white on rice" Goku said as Goten gave his father a confused look.

"What about brown rice?" Goten asked innocently.

"Uhh…we're going to ignore brown rice for now" Goku replied as he scratched his head.

"I guess you're right, I probably would go nuts on that moron if he tried to hurt Videl in front of me" Gohan said as he took on a thoughtful look.

"I saw how you reacted when he shot at Videl at the ball, you were barely able to control your anger" Chi Chi said calmly as she sipped her tea.

"I was able to control it, I just didn't want to" Gohan offered.

"I think it was sweet, as much as I'd love to see him beat to a pulp, I thought I'd at least give him the opportunity to run…even though he never gave that chance to me" she said, ending in a grim tone of voice.

"You're a better person then I am V, I was happy to finish him off then and there" Gohan mumbled as he started eating his sandwich again.

"That reminds me, Videl how is your arm?" Chi Chi asked as she watched the teenager finished up her large sandwich.

"It's alright I guess, it's still sore and kind of gross looking, but I'm sure it will be for awhile. It's starting to heal now but Bulma told me to continue cleaning it out for the next week" Videl said as she then took the final bite of her lunch, effectively filling her up.

"Well, it would be smart to continue to clean it out just to be safe. You were shot after all. Thank god that moron has bad aim" she mumbled as she took another long sip of her tea.

"I don't know his second shot definitely would have sent me to the otherworld. Thank god for the quick actions of my sweet Gohan" she said as she pinched his cheek as a joke and watched as a rosy tint covered his cheeks.

"I'm just sorry that I missed the first one" he said, giving her a sad smile.

"It was a surprise to everyone…no one expected him to show up, let alone be willing to shoot openly. I actually felt really bad that Chi Chi had the gun pointed at her" Videl said as she gave the older woman a sad expression.

"After seeing him shoot at you, do you really think he'd get the opportunity to shoot at Chi? There's no way I'd let him get that chance" Goku said, beaming with pride as Chi Chi smiled at him.

"I was more surprised with Vegeta jumping in. I never would have pictured that he would come and stop him from punching you in the face. I was completely shocked by his act of kindness" Chi Chi said as she remembered the shorter saiyan stopping Hercule in mid-punch.

"Actually I was pretty taken back by the too" Gohan mused as he thought back to the events that occurred.

"Actually, he's been pretty concerned about Videl, granted I'm sure he'd never admit it, but once Hercule started calling CC and showing up, he was on pretty high alert. He was even the one who stopped Hercule from taking her while she was sick" Goku said, earning some surprised looked from Videl and Chi Chi.

"He knew she was at capsule corp.?" Chi Chi asked, surprised evident in her voice.

"He called one day and Bulma accidently let it slip out and asked Vegeta and I to keep an eye out. Then he started calling more and showing up at the front door and trying to force his way in. When she was sick he came through her balcony and Vegeta walked in and made him run away. So Vegeta melted the locks and put her back into bed" Goku answered in a nonchalant manor.

"Wow…I should thank him again. I had no idea" Videl said quietly as she listened to Goku speak.

"Vegeta can be a jerk, but he can be a good guy too, just not very often. He's got a soft spot for you Videl; he'll never admit it, but he's told me he respects you and thinks' you'll make a fine saiyan wife someday" Goku said earning a blush from the two teens.

Before either teen could respond Chi Chi spoke up, "I think this is one time I'll have to agree with Vegeta. Videl you would make a perfect saiyan wife; you keep Gohan in line and you're not afraid to stand up to him" Chi Chi said as she closed her eyes and took a deep inhale from her tea, enjoying the calming scent.

"Videl how'd you react to Gohan telling you he's not 'normal'" Chi Chi asked curiously.

Videl looked surprised by the question at first, and then noticed Gohan seemed interested in the answer as well. "Hm… well, after I had seen him turn into the gold fighter when I was being beaten up, I realized he can't be completely average. Granted, I always thought there was something different about him…I could never place it but I just knew. Then when I found out he was Saiyaman, I mean, what normal person can fly?" she asked, earning a small smile from Gohan.

"Then when Gohan sat me down and explained everything; about how he was kidnapped and trained at the age of four, Goku dying a few times, cell, and his saiyan background, I guess I was almost expecting it in a sense. I was surprised; I mean who wouldn't be finding out that one of their best friends was half alien. But I realized, him being half alien didn't change the fact that he was still the sweet, caring friend I had grown to really care for, and if anything him telling me his story only brought us closer together" Videl said with a smile as she felt Gohan reach under the table and squeezed her hand.

"Ha, when Goku explained it to me, I called him a monster, then when Gohan and him were super saiyans; I called them both monsters and cried" Chi Chi said with a laugh, earning a smile from everyone.

"Mommy called me a monster too. I thought it wasn't a good thing till Gohan told me it was something to be proud of" Goten said with a pout as his mother leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"So will Videl be my sister?" Goten asked innocently as Gohan and Videl both turned red again.

"Someday Goten, someday" Goku said with a laugh, knowing that his son and Videl were indeed destined to be together forever.

"Hey Goten, want to make an igloo after lunch?" Gohan asked, distracting everyone from the previous topic.

"That sounds awesome!" Goten exclaimed as everyone finished up their lunches.

Gohan smiled inwardly, he had been keeping an eye on Videl while they ate their lunch and was pleased at the fact she was keeping up with her promise and she was eating a healthy amount of food and wasn't over exercising to compensate eating.

"Here Chi Chi, I'll get the dishes" Videl said as she started collecting the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. After the dishes were cleaned up, everyone went on doing whatever it was they wanted to help make the day more eventful.

The darkness of the night came quickly to the mountain area, and soon everyone could feel their bodies requesting sleep.

Goku covered up a yawn as he watched his youngest son do the same. "Goten stop yawning…its addictive" Goku said as he yawned once again.

"Goku, I don't think addictive is the word you're looking for" Chi Chi said as she sat beside her husband.

"Contagious dad" Gohan said, listening to their conversation, they were all sitting in the living room watching a movie together.

Videl smiled to herself as she watched the family make conversation, 'life just can't get any better than this' she thought to herself as she snuggled in closer to Gohan.

"Goten, I think it's time you say goodnight to everyone and go to bed" Chi Chi said as she looked at her youngest son as he struggled to stay awake.

"Ok mom" he said quietly as he used one arm to rub one of his eyes as he covered another yawn. He stood up from his spot sitting on the floor; he walked over to Chi Chi and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Night mom" he muttered as Chi Chi returned the hug and kissed his cheek.

"Night sweetie, we'll see you in the morning" Chi Chi said as she watched her son go over and repeat the same actions with her husband.

"Sweet dreams buddy" Goku said as he returned the hug and ruffled his son's hair.

Goten then drowsily walked over to Gohan and proceeded to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Night squirt, I promise after school tomorrow we'll have a snowball fight" Gohan said, earning a half lidded look from his brother as he nodded in agreement.

Much to Videl's surprise Goten came over and hugged her as well and gave her a kiss on the cheek and once again said goodnight.

Videl smiled despite her surprise, "Night Goten, sweet dreams" she said as she in turn gave him a kiss on the cheek as she watched him slowly make his way up the stairs and to his bedroom.

Videl couldn't help but let a small smile come to her face as she gently reached a hand up and touched her fingers to where Goten had kissed her cheek.

"Are you alright V?" Gohan asked, as he watched his girlfriend's actions.

"Goten…he's never said goodnight to me like that before" She said, a smile still present on her face. She was just dumbstruck at how kind this family really was to her.

"Videl, Goten absolutely adores you. He really does think of you as a big sister" Chi Chi said, smiling at how touched Videl was at Goten's simple actions.

"I'm so touched by that" she said quietly, a smile still on her face.

"That's cute" Chi Chi said as she smiled warmly.

"I think I'm going to go and lay in bed and I'm sure I'll fall asleep soon enough" Goku said as he stood up and stretched and covered another yawn.

"Alright, I'm going to take Videl out" Gohan said as he grinned at his parents.

"Alright sweetie, you two have a good time and we'll see you bright and early, don't forget you have school tomorrow so don't stay up too late alright?" Chi Chi said as she stepped forward and gave both of the teens a hug.

"Night guys see you in the morning" Chi Chi said as she turned and walked up a few steps and looked back to her husband.

"Night guys enjoy your time out" Goku said with grin as he hugged both teens. He gave a final wave as he turned and followed his wife up their stairs to their bedroom.

"Ready to go to my house now?" Videl asked as she went to the front door and started putting her boots on. Originally they were going to have Goku come with them, but the figured they'd just go late at night when Hercule would most likely either be passed out, or out on the town.

"Yep! Oh but I wanted to take you somewhere else before hand, is that alright?" Gohan asked as he gave her a grin and put his boots on as well.

Videl went to grab her heavy coat but Gohan stopped her, "You'll be fine in the sweatshirt that you're in now, I promise" He said as she gave him a funny look.

He stood up and grasped her hand and led her out into the cold mountain night.

He floated up into the air for a moment and motioned for her to follow. Videl nodded in agreement and floated up in the air and followed him silently. As the flew for a few minutes Videl could feel just how cold winter was in the mountain area and could feel herself getting colder and colder.

Just then she saw Gohan stop abruptly after they had been flying for about five minutes. Before Videl could ask him what he was doing she was startled as he yelled out loud.

"NIMBUS!" He yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth. He turned around to flash Videl a grin then noticed the startled look on her face. "Sorry, I guess I should have given you a heads up" he said sheepishly as she stuck her tongue out at him.

A few seconds later the flying cloud appeared in front of them. Gohan quickly seated himself on the cloud and spread his legs out and motioned for Videl to sit in his lap. She seemed to be contemplating the idea for a moment then slowly sat comfortably in Gohans lap.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she felt the cloud starting to speed off.

"No where in particular, just going around to check out the view" He said as he wrapped his arms around Videl, noticing that she was started to shiver slightly.

Videl looked at the scenery around the two of them and then noticed just how quickly they were flying. "It's so weird looking down at everything fly past so quickly" she said in awe as they started to fly over an unknown city on an island away from their home country.

"Are we flying over a different country?" she asked in amazement.

"We are…I think we might be flying over Egypt now or at least coming close to it" he said as the flying cloud lowered over the strange city still maintaining the quick speed. It was indeed Egypt as the large pyramids came into view.

"This is so incredible" she said in awe as looked around at the historical landscape. Nimbus dipped down as they reached the Nile River and Videl reached her hand out and ran it along the warm water of the Nile.

"I thought a ride would be a great way to finish off the Christmas break" Gohan said as Videl leaned back against his chest.

"I feel like I should be singing a whole new world" Videl said with a laugh as she felt Gohans arms wrapped around her waist loosely, using his energy to keep her at a warm and comfortable temperature.

"So were you really surprised by Goten kissing your cheek tonight?" Gohan asked after they had a few moments of silence.

"I thought it was sweet" She said with a smile as she though back to the events that had taken place earlier. "You may not have seen it, but I had had a similar reaction when you kissed my cheek the first time, back when we were still 'friends'" she said, putting her fingers up to make quotations for the word 'friends'.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously

"The first time you kissed my cheek, do you remember?" She asked as she looked up at him as he seemed to be lost in concentration. "Since, your memory seems to have escaped you I'll remind you. As I said, we were just really good friend at the time, it was something like 3 months ago. I had been in a depressed mood as it had been the anniversary of my mother's death and I was so upset that I left school during class hours. You, being the worry wart you are, followed me out and walked around with me and got me to pour my heart out as we walked through the park. Even though I was balling my eye out…I just enjoyed being out with you and feeling comfortable enough to tell you everything" she said as she smiled at the memory as a look of realization came across Gohans face.

Even though she realized he had just remember she continued on with the story anyways. "I swear we talked and walked for hours and night was coming quickly. You got me back to smiling and joking around and we walked through one of the garden areas in the park. You grabbed my favourite flower, the yellow lily and gave it to me and as a joke I stuck it behind my ear. Then you said your mom would kill you if you weren't home soon and told me the flower looked good on me. I looked away because I was a little embarrassed and next thing I knew you were kissing my cheek and giving me your typical smile and yelling bye as you flew off." She said still smiling at how she felt that day.

"I was so stunned, I felt my cheek where you kissed, and I got these butterflies in my tummy. I knew then that I had a really big crush on you" She said as she felt his hands tighten lightly around her.

"I remember that" he said with a big smile on his face, "I was trying to be subtle to the fact I had a big crush on your but I couldn't resist just trying to sneak in a kiss to see how you'd react" Gohan replied with a grin. Videl smiled at his reply knowing that he had just let it slip out and it wasn't anything that he had planned, despite what he may claim.

The two made small talk then quickly Videl's former house, the Satan mansion came quickly into view. Both noticed that all of the lights were turned off and Videl knew that that had meant her father wasn't home.

She could feel herself releasing a sigh of relief. "If he was home there would have been at least one light on in the house, there always is. I'm not seeing any lights so that is a very good sigh" she said with a smile, feeling the tension that had been collecting in her start to fade away a little. She quickly pointed out her room and the cloud floated gracefully over to it as the two teens jumped off.

Videl reached her balcony doors and grasped the frozen handle and gave the door a strong tug. Much to her surprise the door opened without any problems. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, why would he care, it's my room" she said dryly as she opened the door and welcomed Gohan into her room.

Gohan quietly walked into her room and looked around as she went into her large closet and started digging around for her school work.

Gohan was surprised at the condition of the room; all of the windows were opened and the sheets were completely pulled off the large bed. The more he looked around the more he realized how poor condition the room was in. he could see a few holes in the walls, and a few dents in the door, he could also see dried blood on Videls bed, as well as blood around the room. He frowned when he came to the realization that it was probably Videl's blood from beatings from when she left the house.

"Alright, I've got everything so I'm good to go now" she said, she looked uneasy as the memories of what had occurred in her room flooded back to her. "Let's get out of here" she said quickly as she moved to walk quickly out of the room, Gohan following behind her. Once they exited the room Videl closed the doors to her old room and they quickly flew back to Gohans home and went to bed, now ready for the school day that would come tomorrow.

~*~The next day~*~

Everyone sat at the breakfast table eating their breakfast silently. Gohan and Videl had woken up early to make sure that they would be on time for their first day back at school after the break. Before they knew it, they were saying their goodbyes to the family and flying off towards Satan City.

They landed in an alley a few minutes away from their school and walked the rest of the way, making small talk all the while. They entered the school and went to their lockers, still having three minutes to spare before their homeroom classes were to begin.

"Do you remember what we have first period?" Videl asked as she put text books into her locker.

"I'm pretty sure we've got chem. first period, then history second" Gohan said as he thought back to the last day of classes. Videl gave him a smile as she grabbed her textbooks and locked her locker as she waited for Gohan to finish up.

Gohan closed his locker and looked at Videl for a moment then a blush came across his cheeks. "What's the matter Gohan?" she questioned, noticing the blush that came across his cheeks.

"Can…can I hold your hand as we walk to class?" he asked shyly as a small blush crept onto Videl's cheeks.

"Of course you can" she said with a smile as she held out her hand and they walked to their classroom on the second floor.

They walked into their class room and could feel a whole bunch of eyes focused on them along with many whispers.

"Is Gohan holding Videl's hands?" A red headed girl named Angela asked o her friend beside her.

"Looks like it…I bet she slept with him, why else would they be doing that?" her brunette haired friend replied.

"Videl, Gohan!" They heard a voice exclaim from the top row of seating. The two smiled knowing the voice could have only come from their friend Erasa.

"Hey guys" Gohan said with a smile as he greeted Erasa and Sharpener. Before another word could be said Erasa interrupted them.

"Videl what happened to you? Your dad called all worried and said you ran away or something and he couldn't find you. Where'd you go?" She questioned quickly as Sharpened poked Erasa's arm drawing her attention.

Sharpener arched an eyebrow as he pointed to Gohan and Videl, "When did this happen?" He asked, noticing the two teens were holding hands.

"Oh my god Videl how could you not tell me you hooked up with Gohan! You've got a lot of explaining to do" Erasa exclaimed, a hurt expression on her face as she had been kept so in the dark of her best friends new found relationship with one of her really good friends.

"Gohan and I are now dating yes…can we explain this at lunch time?" Videl asked she was hesitant to get into a deeper explanation with so many ears around them, most willing to tell the tabloids about what had occurred with her the past few weeks.

"You better" Erasa said as the teacher walked in and greeted the class.

"Welcome back class, I hoped you all had a wonderful vacation, I know that I sure enjoyed my vacation in Aspen" the enthusiastic young twenty eight year old female teacher said as she flashed the class a grin. "Now, let's get back to work shall we? If you could all pull out your text books and open to page 143 and we'll begin with our discussion on stoichiometry" she said excitedly as she went on to discuss chemical bonds in atoms and electrostatic attraction in salt crystals.

Everyone was surprised at how quickly the first day back classes went and before they knew it, it was lunch time.

Erasa grabbed onto Gohan and Videl and motioned for Sharpener to follow as she moved towards the top floor hallway so they could eat their lunch in silence.

"Ok, we're here because no one ever walks up this high so we can talk in peace. Spill it" Erasa said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yea, how come you weren't at your house?" Sharpener asked as he leaned against a wall and took a bit into his sandwich.

"Alright…guys what I tell you, you have to promise that it doesn't leave this group alright?" Videl asked as she looked around to make sure they truly were alone.

"The last day of school, I was pretty sick. Gohan brought me to his place so I could relax and get checked out by his mom, and simply just to sleep. When I woke up I passed out and their family friend, Bulma was there and she checked me out and told Gohan I was exhausted and commented on bruises I had on my body" she said, she could feel her voice growing quieter. She felt a little more comfortable as Gohan reached over and gently grasped her hand and gave her a squeeze for support.

"Gohan brought me home while I was still asleep then my father…my father kicked me off the couch and told me to run fifteen laps" She said as the two blondes looked at her confused.

"If you were that sick why would your dad make you run?" Sharpener asked as Videl held up a hand.

"Please, let me finish the story then I'll answer questions" she said quietly as she took in a deep breath and continued on with her story.

"Gohan came back to my house because he was worried and found me collapsed on the track in my house. He then quickly took me back to his place because he was worried. So he brought me back and again, Bulma told him I had a bad case of the flu and commented on how I had a bloody lip and a swollen knee so Gohan kept me at his place, where I've been staying for the past while, his mother called us in sick, being why we were here that last Friday" she said as she took a sip from her water bottle that Chi Chi had prepared for her.

"I then told Gohan of how my father….my father physically abuses me" She said quietly as she looked away at her two shocked friends looks. She held up a hand to try and silence her friends to continue on with her story.

"Gohan then let me stay at his place because he was worried that I may get hurt if I were to go back to my house again. From there I got better and I stayed at Gohans house and had an awesome Christmas with his family. I had felt bad so I decided that I would go back and stay a day with my father, but that was a complete mistake. My father heard me making something to eat, he proceed to tell me I was fat and ugly, and forced me to go swimming because I needed to lose weight. After I had finished my five hour punishment of swimming, I couldn't find a towel anywhere, then I went to the room, I saw that my dad had taken everything away from my bed so I wouldn't be able keep warm, opened up my windows and made sure I wouldn't be able to change into anything warm. So I somehow managed to sleep while I was soaking wet and getting the winter breeze, then a few hours later my dad pored ice water on top of me and walked out of the room. So I left my house and went to Bulmas house where Gohan and his family were now staying" She said, she could feel her voice quivering a little but received a small smile from Gohan of encouragement.

"Then on New Years at Bulma's party, my father burst into the ballroom and tried to shoot me. "See this here?" She questioned as she pointed to her bandaged arm, earning a nod from the two blonde teens, "My dad shot me and grazed me with a bullet then he shot a second one, but Gohan stopped it just before it hit me" she finished. The two other teens knew a little bit about Gohan, they knew he was super strong and they also knew he had the possibility to fly, so naturally they came to the conclusion that he was Saiyaman. But because they had been friends for a few years now and they had grown closer and no one had breathed a word to another soul, so the fact that Gohan stopped a bullet wasn't surprising to the at all. The fact that the bullet came from Hercule, was indeed a surprise.

"Gohan nearly killed him, but I calmed Gohan down and everyone vowed to protect me…and I haven't seen my father since New year's eve" she said quietly, as she started to slowly eat her lunch leaving her two friends with a dumbfounded look on their faces.

Videl slowly looked up at her two friends face, and as she had expected, both were in shock.

"Videl I…I just…and no idea…" Erasa stuttered, trying to formulate a coherent sentence, but failing in the process. So she resolved to do what she felt could help the situation, she crawled across the floor and gave her best friend a big hug.

"I'm so sorry Videl…why didn't you tell me?" She whispered as Videl returned the friendly hug.

"I didn't think any one would believe me. I know you guys idolize my father so I just…didn't think you'd even consider the fact that he's abusive", she replied quietly, averting her gaze as to not allow newly formulating tears to fall down her cheeks. "I didn't even think Gohan would believe me. In fact when I told him I thought he was mad at me for being weak" she claimed.

As Erasa pulled away Sharpener then took his turn and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry we weren't there to help you V" He murmured, still in complete shock from hearing that their supposed hero of the world, beats his only daughter.

Videl once again returned the hug, she could hear Erasa crying quietly in the background and noticed Gohan was rubbing her back to try and comfort her. Sharpener then pulled away from Videl and went over to his girlfriend and comforted her while Gohan moved closer to Videl who simply gave him a small smile.

Erasa sniffled a little then gave a weak smile, "ok, so let's hear the good news, how did you two finally hook up?" She said, Erasa always loved hearing other peoples love stories.

"Well, for Christmas, Gohan reunited me with my mother" Videl said with a smile, as the two teens looked shocked.

"Videl…we were at your mother's funeral…she's dead" Sharpener said quietly, not sure how that statement would affect his friend.

"She was yes…but being great friends with a guy who knows the genius Bulma Briefs does have many, many perks" she said as she leaned her head on Gohans shoulder, they hadn't explained the whole concept of the dragon balls so the throwing Bulma's name in there wouldn't rouse any suspicion. "When I realized it wasn't a joke, and he was the one who surprised me with something I wanted more than anything I told him I was falling for him in front of his family and I kissed him" she said, earning a big smile from Erasa. "Then Gohan told me he felt the same way" Videl said, once again, a big smile returning to her face.

"That's so cute!" Erasa exclaimed as she clasped her hands together in excitement. "I always knew Videl had a big thing for you Gohan, but she kept denying it. Always with the 'we're just friends' and 'I was not staring at his butt'", she said with a laugh, earning a blush from both Gohan and Videl.

"And Gohan let's face it…all those times you attempted to deny it…you really suck at lying" she said, earning a laugh from the group.

Gohan face took on a grin, "would you guys like to see some pictures?" he asked, his grin never fading.

Videl ached an eyebrow as she saw Gohans smile, 'what's he up to?' she thought to herself as she watched Gohan pull pictures out of his backpack and hand them over to Erasa and Sharpener before Videl could see what the pictures were of.

"Whoa, Videl, is that you?" Sharpener asked as he gaped at the pictures that had just been handed to them.

"I knew you were pretty Videl…but holy crap!" Erasa exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Videl asked curiously.

Gohan let a big grin come upon his face, "I wanted to show them a few of our first pictures together as a couple" he said, he knew that if he showed them just how gorgeous she looked she's receive compliments, a perfect time to see how committed to her promise she was.

Sharpener turned a picture around to show Videl, "is that really you?" he questioned in surprise as he showed the picture of Videl from the ball the other night. She was standing on the stage when she had first revealed her new look, a smirk plastered on her face as she stood in front of the microphone.

Videl felt a blush slowly come upon her cheeks, "yea, that's me" she said shyly, giving Gohan an unimpressed look as he continued to grin.

"I had no idea your hair could be curled like that" Erasa said in awe as she stared in shock at the picture of her best friend.

"My mom curled it for me" she said with a smile at the memory, " Gohans mom, Bulma, my mother and a woman named 18 all worked together and made the dress for me, then did my hair, and make up and such" she said, remembering all the effort the woman put into making her look stunning.

"You look hot in that dress. I mean, I've always thought you were attractive…but holy crap, it's like looking at a whole different person" Sharpener said, still looking through the pictures Gohan had offered them.

Erasa let a giggle escape from her lips, "apparently Gohan was surprised by her transformation too" she said as she turned a picture around of a very wide mouth and wide eyed Gohan looking absolutely shocked while he was in his tuxedo.

"I didn't know that one was in there" Gohan mumbled, looking at the expression on his face that had been taken.

"Videl do you have a twin?" Sharpener asked as he went through other pictures. He turned a picture around of Videl and an older version of her.

"That's my mom and I, isn't she pretty?" Videl asked with a big grin as the two teens looked at the picture in shock.

"Wow Videl…I had forgotten what your mom looked like…you two are beautiful" Erasa said as Videl returned the smile and gave her a thanks.

"As nerdy as Gohan is… I've got to admit you two look good together" Sharpener said as he showed Erasa a picture of the two of them during the ball posing together.

"I couldn't agree more" Videl said as she grinned at Gohan and kissed his cheek.

"Hey guys, I'm just going to run to the bathroom really quickly…meet you downstairs for classes?" Videl asked as she stood up and dusted her bum off.

"See you in a few minutes sweetie" Gohan said with a small blush as Videl blushed as well and gave a quick wave as she started descending the stairs.

Gohan then took on a serious looked as he turned to the two blondes. "Guys, I need your help with a problem with her that I've been working on" Gohan said as the two teens leaned in interest evident on their faces.

"When Videl came to my house, I noticed she looked skinny…actually a lot of my family noticed how small she was. I then noticed that she wasn't eating, and if she did manage to eat something, she would work out for a couple of hours to burn it off. Her father had convinced her that she was really ugly and really fat and she was boarder line eating disorder. I showed her a picture of her in a bathing suit and she couldn't believe how thin she had gotten. She promised me she'd work on her confidence issue" Gohan said as the other two looked surprised.

"I never noticed Videl had an eating disorder...I always though she just wanted to train for crime fighting…but that does explain the oversized shirts she was always wearing" Erasa mused as Gohan interrupted her.

"If you get the chance, I want you to compliment her, please don't joke around and call her ugly or fat. Trust me, she's lost at least ten pounds the past few weeks and I've only recently gotten her eating. If we're at lunch and it looks like she's not eating, please try and get her to eat something. Say something like "this is great you should try it". Anything at all to get her to eat" he said as he started standing up as well to meet Videl down stairs for the next class as their lunch hour was drawing to a close.

"You got it nerd boy" Sharpener said as he mock saluted Gohan.

"Videl is beautiful" Erasa said out loud, "why would she believe otherwise?" she questioned out loud as they started descending the stairs.

"Hercule convinced her she was ugly and fat. You should have seen how surprised she was when she saw her actual size, she thought I had photo shopped it or something. She couldn't understand how the picture made her look so sickly thin when she saw something differently" Gohan said as he adjusted his backpack.

"Gohan, I think you've got to be the best thing to happen to Videl since she discovered fighting" Erasa said, earning a blush from Gohan.

~*~ Later that day~*~

The rest of the school day had gone by smoothly and Gohan and Videl were now at home. Both were finishing up their homework together and getting ready for bed.

"I love your family" Videl said, breaking the silence between them.

"I'm glad" Gohan said with a smile as he moved closer to Videl.

"I think I'm going to go to bed now" Videl said as she rubbed her eyes, looking at the clock now seeing it was quarter past eleven at night.

"Night air is taking it out of you eh?" Gohan asked jokingly as Videl covered a yawn.

"I sure think it is" she said as she covered another yawn "but I'm also not used to being up that early, so I think I'm going turn in now" She said as she leaned her head against Gohans shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Alright hun" he said as he kissed her on the cheek.

"I like you calling me these names" Videl said with a smile as she moved to lay on top of Gohan's back as he lay on the floor on his stomach.

"Good, because I'm getting into the habit of calling you them" he said with a grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck lightly.

"Alright, let's get you to bed" Gohan said as he gently stood up, still keeping her on his back so he could give her a piggy back to her room.

Gohan easily walked into her room and gently laid her down on her bed. He gave her a smile as he stared at the way her hair was gently sprawled out across her pillow.

"You're so beautiful" he said with a small smile.

"And you're so handsome" she said with a grin as she reached up to play with the lock of hair that hung in his face.

"I hate that piece of hair" he commented as he glared at it for a moment.

"I like it' it's cute" she said as she pulled on it gently, bringing him down to meet her lips so she could give him a kiss.

"Night hun" she said quietly as she gave him another kiss. "I love you".

"Night sweetheart, I love you too" Gohan said as he gave her another kiss and a quick hug. With that he stood up and gave her a final wave before he finally retired to his room so he could sleep.

Videl smiled in her bed as thoughts ran through her mind. 'Things are definitely going to get better. …I can't believe how lucky I am to be with him' she thought as she finally drifted off to sleep.

~*~

Alright that's the end of Chapter 17 and I will try and get chapter 18 up within a week and a half hopefully. I'm going to warn you that for my next chapter I'm going to do a shift in time. Nothing major…but like 8 months…something like that, maybe a year or something. I promise I'll develop on it more, so I really hope nobody minds.

I hope you all like this chapter and I hope to get reviews on it! Once again, please remember there will be a time jump for my next chapter, I really hope you guys like what I have in store for you.

Thanks again for more than one hundred reviews, please let's keep them coming!


	18. One Year Later

Alright guys here's chapter 18. I re ally do hope I get a few mre reviews with this chapter. I've been kinda down lately as my parents just split p, we just lost our house, my school is giving me lots of problems with registration, OSAP is telling me I owe them money but can't figure out how, my mom got into a caf accident with an 18 wheeler and the insurance won't pay to fix it (truck hit her) and I'm getting bullied at work. So I could really use a pick me up and would absolutely love some feedback on the story. Please!

**Chapter 18: One Year Later**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

~*~

It's been a little over a year since we last visited our two teenage lovebirds; a year and two months to be exact. It was now the middle of March and Gohan and Videl were reaching the finale of their high school years. A lot has changed in the past year and the two teens had managed to endure it all, they even survived their first fight; that had been a long and loud week in the Son household.

Videl leaned against Gohan's locker as she patiently waited for him as the last class of the day had just ended. She stared at her feet while clutching her history textbook to her chest, lost to the world around her. Suddenly she felt something press against her cheek, surprising her out of her stupor.

"Hey V" Gohan said with a grin as he pulled away from giving Videl a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey, how was class?" She said as she moved aside so Gohan had better access to his locker as he rummaged around for his books for the weekend.

"Meh, same old same old nothing too exciting" He said as he continued to fiddle with his books and binders. Before Videl could respond a high pitched voice interrupted.

"Hi Gohan" Angela said in a sultry voice as Gohan turned to acknowledge her.

"Oh, hi Angela" Gohan said politely as he closed his locker.

"Videl" Angela said as she sent her a glare, she never could believe the fact that Videl had managed to get Gohan and since the day they became public about their relationship Angela had tried desperately to win Gohan over, but to no avail.

"Whore" Videl said, smiling sweetly at Angela, who had decided to ignore Videl.

"I wanted to show you something Gohan" Angela said with a seductive smile as she turned around and bent forward a little. She then pulled down the hem of her mini skirt, she would have pulled up the top of her shirt, but the shirt was much too small for her and exposed the bottom half of her torso.

"It's a Chinese symbol; it means spiritual woman. I got it so I could show you how independent and spiritual I am" She said as she turned around to see Gohans expression.

She gave a confused look at Gohan as he appeared to be stifling a laugh.

"Did the tattoo artist tell you what that means?" Gohan asked, still trying to keep a straight face for some unknown reason. Videl raised an eyebrow at Gohan and was about to question what he was doing but was once again interrupted by Angela's voice.

"Yes, he told me it meant spiritual woman. He said he thought it was a perfect tattoo for me" She said with a smile, believing that Gohan was smiling because he liked the tattoo.

"Do you know anything about Chinese symbols?" Gohan asked as his laughter began to get harder to control.

"No why?" Angela asked as she raised an eyebrow, matching Videl's confused expression.

Gohan now started to laugh loudly in the hall way. "I hate to break it to you Angela, but that symbol doesn't mean spiritual woman" He said between his laughter.

"What? What does it mean then?" Angela asked in a surprised voice.

Gohan once again gave into his laughter and leaned against his locker as he continued to laugh loudly drawing more and more confused looks.

"I demand you tell me what it means" Angela said as she stomped her foot on the ground and glared at Gohan for laughing at her meaningful tattoo.

"Do you really want to know?" Gohan asked with a very amused grin plastered on his face.

Angela nodded vigorously in response as Gohan tried to calm himself down enough to tell her what her now permanent symbol on her lower back meant.

"Alright…don't shoot the messenger" he said as he took in a deep breath, trying to hide his smile knowing she wasn't going to like what she heard.

"What does it mean already" Angela asked impatiently.

"It doesn't mean spiritual woman…it means sugar substitute" Gohan said as he started laughing again, a surprised look crossing both Videl and Angela's face. Within seconds Videl started joining Gohan in his laughter as they watched Angela's face go bright red.

"Tattoo removal businesses must be making a killing off of stupid people like you" Videl said through her laughs as Angela show Videl a glare.

"Who asked you bitch" Angela spat angrily as she stormed off down the hallway muttering about tattoo artists and how it was Videl's fault.

"That tattoo artist was right though, it does suit her" Videl said still laughing at Angela's priceless expression.

"She's the one who wanted to know" Gohan said as he tried to steady his breathing enough so he and Videl could head home.

"I don't get why she doesn't realize that we're not going to break up for her. I mean… we've been dating over a year now" Videl said as she grinned as all of Angela's fail attempts to separate them went through her mind. The girl was not very bright.

"Ah forget her V, let's go home I'm sure my dad and Goten have plans for us and for the weekend" Gohan said with a grin as he extended his hand to Videl as they started to walk up the stairs and towards the roof of the school.

As the two reached the top of the school they let go of their linked hands. Gohan stepped forward and failed to notice Videl's mischievous grin. Gohan took a deep inhale of the spring air and smiled, he turned around to make a comment to Videl but before he got the chance, he felt something pounce on his back, knocking him off the roof of the school with this person still gripping onto his back.

"You're a dirty fighter" Gohan said with a laugh as he quickly elevated the two of them before anyone noticed that two people just fell off the top of the school.

"You love it" Videl said with a grin as she held onto Gohan as he flew with her on his back, carrying her piggy back style.

"You know, we both could have gotten hurt" Gohan said in a fake serious tone. He held onto her hands what were wrapped around him as he flew. He couldn't help but smile at how playful she had become over the past year.

"Do you really expect me to believe that you'd let someone my size take you out?" she asked in an amused tone of voice.

"Hey you caught me off guard, I didn't expect to fall off a building; that could have ended badly" he said, turning his head to catch a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, still attempting to keep a serious tone of voice.

"I don't believe for a second that even if you were caught off guard that you'd let me fall off a building. Besides, you're Saiyaman, you can stand up to anything!" she exclaimed playfully as Gohan squeezed her hands a little.

"Sometimes, you're lucky you're cute" he said, earning a playful smack from Videl.

"Shut up" she said jokingly as both noticed the Son household quickly coming into view.

Gohan landed on the soft grass and knelt down a little so Videl could touch down onto the ground. Before either could say anything a blur came out through the door and knocked the two over.

"Gohan! Videl! I'm so glad you guys are home; you wouldn't believe everything dad and I did. We found this lizard, and dad said it would bite and I said no, then I picked it up and it bit me. I didn't like him very much. Then dad tried to catch a fish, but it ate him!" Goten exclaimed quickly as he sat on Videl's stomach as the two slowly recovered from the shock of being knocked over so quickly.

"Well, at least it was Goten and not Goku this time" Videl said with a laugh as Gohan helped her to her feet.

The three walked into the house and noticed Chi Chi and Goku in the kitchen.

"Hello" Videl said with a smile as she walked in and put her backpack at the side of the couch.

"Hey guys, how was school?" Goku asked as he sat himself on the counter top, earning a disapproving look from Chi Chi.

"Meh, school was school" Videl shrugged as Chi Chi gave her a smile.

"It's important you get a good education Videl, how else will you get a good job?" Chi Chi questioned as she leaned her back against Goku's knees where he proceeded to rub her shoulders.

"I know it just stays pretty stable in the excitement department" she said with a smile. Chi Chi had treated her like a daughter since the first day she moved in.

"She does have a point there mom" Gohan said as he leaned against the door frame, Goten propped up on his shoulder.

Chi Chi simply shook her head then spoke up as another thought popped into her head. "We're having company over for dinner tonight, so I'd appreciate some help in cleaning up the house if you all wouldn't mind" she said earning nod from everyone in the room.

'I'll take the family room" Videl said as she pick up her backpack once again, preparing to run up to her room quickly.

"I'll take the bathroom" Gohan offered.

"I'll take the kitchen!" Goku offered excitedly causing Chi Chi to turn around with an amused smile on her face.

"Goku I want the house cleaned, I don't want the fridge emptied" She said earning a pout from Goku.

"Why do you always assume I'm going to eat everything?" Goku asked, attempting to defend himself.

"I'm sorry sweetie, would you like something to eat?" She asked an amused smile still on her face.

"That's ok Chi, and actually now that you mention it, I could go for a snack" Goku said as he rubbed his stomach as the others laughed lightly.

"You just proved my point" Chi Chi said with a satisfied smirk on her face as everyone laughed as Goku stuck his tongue out at her. "You can clean the living room and Goten you can help Videl with the family room. I'll do the dining room and get started with dinner" she said in a tone that left no room for arguments.

"You got it mom" Gohan said as he gave his mom a salute then started walking up stairs with Videl in toe.

"I hate cleaning" Goten muttered from his spot on Gohan's shoulder.

"Aw come on, we'll make it fun Goten" Videl said as she saw the now eight year old turn around and give her a sceptical look.

"I promise, we'll stick on some music and we'll have fun" she said with a smile as he seemed to be curious at how they'd managed to have fun with such a boring task.

Both teens stuck their backpacks in their respective rooms and met back up in the hallway.

"You're stuck with me squirt" Videl said as Gohan gently lifted him off his shoulders and placed him on the ground in between them.

"I'll see you in a bit" Videl said with a wink as she stood on her tip-toes and gave Gohan a quick kiss.

"Hey come on, no kissy-kissy stuff" Goten complained, still unhappy with the idea of cleaning.

"I'll see you soon. I bet I get finished before you" he said, giving her a grin.

"Psh, you wish. With Goten and I…you're going down Son" she said, returning the grin.

"Bring it Satan, you're on" Gohan said in an amused tone as the there went their separate ways to clean.

Videl and Goten walked downstairs and Videl went to the closet to grab all the things they would need to clean.

"So explain to me again how this is going to be fun?" Goten asked, a small pout on his face.

"Be careful Goten, you might trip over your lip" Videl said with a laugh as Goten gave her a worried look.

"Do you really think so?" he asked as he quickly put his hands on his mouth, preventing himself from tripping over his lip.

Videl gave him a warm smile, "come on squirt I have an idea" she said earning Goten's interest.

~*~ 20 Minutes later~*~

Music was playing loudly as Goten and Videl continued to 'work'. Videl and Goten were each on one side of the somewhat large wooden coffee table and they were polishing it together in an unconventional way.

"Videl swerves' to the left, then takes a sharp right oh how is Goten going to catch up now, he's in Videl's dust!" Videl exclaimed as she moved the cloth along the table that they were polishing.

"But what's this, Goten appears to be trying some sort of trick, could it work? Oh my goodness Goten as pulled into the lead! Ladies and gentlemen this is quite the surprise, we could have ourselves a tie" Videl once again exclaimed as Goten quickly moved his hand along the table quickly, attempting to 'keep up' with Videl.

"I can't believe it, Goten wins!" Videl exclaimed as Goten jumped up and cheered.

"Ha, you thought I wouldn't win, but I did" Goten said, displaying a proud smile on his face.

"And we got the table dusted" Videl said, causing a look of surprise to cross Goten's face.

"You're right V, this is fun! What else is there to do?" he exclaimed excitedly as he looked over to Videl, eagerly awaiting their next task.

"All that's left is the vacuuming" Videl said as they each grabbed a vacuum and plugged it in.

The loud music played through the house but no one else minded as it provided them with entertainment while they worked as well. Videl let a big grin come on her face as the radio made sounds of a winning coin machine then let a loud, catchy beat follow afterwards.

"I love this song!" Videl exclaimed as she turned it up once again so she'd be able to hear it clearly over the sound of the vacuuming.

Videl held a duster up to her mouth and pretended it was a microphone as she moved her hips to the music while mouthing the words to the song and pushing one of the two vacuum cleaners. Goten quickly followed her lead, realizing it was more fun to move and groove while vacuuming then just to push it around. Goten had also learned very quickly that Videl had a wide variety of songs she 'loved' so it was best to just listen and learn then attempt to ignore them.

Videl pointed at Goten as she mouthed the words to the popular song.

_You gotta help me out  
It's all a blur last night  
We need a taxi 'cause you're hung-over and I'm broke_

Goten stuck his tongue out earning a grin from Videl as he started to mouth the words to the next verse and pointing at her to emphasize the point he was attempting to make.

_I lost my fake I'd but you lost the motel key  
Spare me your freakin' dirty looks  
Now don't play me  
You want to cash out and get the hell out of town_

He sang as Videl gave him a pretend shocked look.

_~*~_

Gohan had just finished cleaning the bathroom and was walking down stairs to hear the blaring music of Katy Perry. He was about to announce his presence when he noticed that his girlfriend and little brother were pretending to be arguing while they sang 'waking up in Vegas'.

'This could be amusing' he thought to himself with a smile as he took a seat on the stairs and watched the two.

_Why are these lights so bright  
Oh, did we get hitched last night, dressed up like Elvis,_

Videl sang as she made a surprised look to emphasize her point.

_Why am I wearing your class ring?  
Don't call your mother  
'Cause now we're partners in crime_

Gohan couldn't help but laugh as he watched his little brother stare at his bare ring finger and attempting to send her a threatening glare when he claimed they were partners in crime.

He then saw Goku walk into the room a minute later as the two were still vacuuming to the song. Videl noticed Goku and stepped towards him, still mouthing the words, all the while earning a very confused look from Goku.

_Don't be a baby  
Remember what you told me_

Videl sang as she repeated the line again, Goku oblivious the song she was singing.

"What… did I tell you?" Goku asked confusion evident in his voice as he scratched the back of his head. Goten and Videl then started singing and pointing at the very confused Goku

_Shut up and put your money where your mouth is  
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas  
Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes, now  
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas_

"I don't have glitter on me" Goku muttered as he checked his clothes while Goten and Videl continued to push the vacuums on the floor, effectively cleaning the entire carpet space.

As the song finished up Goten and Videl began to laugh, "Videl, I love cleaning with you" Goten said as he gave Videl a big grin.

"You're a lot of fun cleaning with too squirt" she replied as she turned down the volume on the radio.

Gohan still sat at his place on the stairs; he couldn't help but smile as he had watched Videl interact with his family. He continued to smile as he stared at her. 'I can't believe how much she's changed for the better' Gohan thought as he remembered what it had been like a year ago.

Videl was standing in the family room joking with Goku and Goten, she was wearing a pair of capris that reached just above her knees, she also wore a dark blue, and short sleeved v–neck t-shirt that fit her form perfectly. Since Gohan had their talk over the year ago Videl had been committed to making Gohan happy as well as making herself happy. She had put on about ten pounds, she now looked healthier than ever, and in Gohan's mind she just looked better every day.

She had started wearing mascara simply to brighten her eyes and had cut her hair not long ago into a bob hairstyle. The front of her hair went down about two inches past her chin and the back revealed her bare neck. (**Authors note: that's my hair style and I like it. So that's why she's got it!**)

As each day passed Gohan was more and more surprised at how she had kept her promise. Videl had always been beautiful to him, and nothing would ever change that. But he had been so happy at the fact that she felt beautiful and she grew more and more confident in herself and her appearance. Now, Videl couldn't care less what someone had to say about her looks, all that mattered to her was that she was happy and that Gohan was there to back that thought up.

Gohan also smiled at how we she fit in with the family and how she'd come to welcome her talents and even showing them off. It wasn't very often that a day would go by without Videl singing or dancing at the house, be it as a joke or being serious. For that, he loved her even more and loved her new sense of confidence.

"That was quite the performance" Gohan said as he stood up and clapped for Videl and Goten. Goten gave him a big grin while Videl blushed.

"How much of that did you see?" Videl asked as she tried to suppress her blush.

"I took my seat on the stairs when you asked Goten if you got hitched last night, and Goten noticed he was wearing your class ring and glaring at you telling you that you were partners in crime" Gohan said with a big smile on his face. "You looked pretty into it Goten" he said with a laugh as Goten gave his family's famous grin.

"I've learned it's stupid to tune out the song Videl enjoys so it's better just to enjoy them with her. Besides, we were having a lot of fun…she was right, cleaning can be fun!" Goten said with a laugh.

"You were singing right? Because quite frankly I can't remember what I told you, and I can't find this glitter" Goku said as he arched an eyebrow and rubbed the back of his neck.

Videl let a laugh escape her lips as Gohan shook his head lightly. "Yea Goku, it was a song, I was just joking with you" she said earning a large grin from Goku.

"From what I've seen of the house, it looks like you all did a good job" Chi Chi said as she came in and looked around the room. "Well I guess you're free to do as you wish till everyone gets here, it shouldn't be too much longer" Chi Chi said as she received a nod from everyone and went back to the kitchen to start preparing the large dinner.

"I think I'm going to work on my home work k?" Videl said drawing Gohans attention to her.

"Alright, I'll let you know when everyone is here" Gohan said as he gave Videl a kiss on the cheek. Videl gave everyone a smile and a wave as she walked up the stairs to get a start on her homework.

"Hey Goten, why don't you go outside and stretch and I'll be out in a few minutes and we can spar, or play hide and seek" Goku suggested as his youngest son energetically nodded his head and ran out the door.

Gohan gave his dad a confused look, which only increased when Goku gave him a big grin.

"So are you?" Goku asked quietly, looking around the room to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.

"I am. I'm going to go shopping next week" Gohan mumbled in response.

"Any ideas on how?" Goku asked, grinning widely.

"Yea, I'll tell you about it later though" Gohan said quietly again as he noticed his mother walking into the room.

"Gohan sweetie could go and grab some vegetables for me from the garden? The fresher the better" Chi Chi said as Gohan nodded his head and headed outside to get any kind of vegetables he could find.

About an hour later people were arriving at the cozy Son household. "Videl could you get the door" Chi Chi yelled from her spot in the kitchen.

Videl slid Goten off her lap as she went to answer the door. "Hi mom" Videl said to Aaliyah as she greeted her with a smile and a big hug. Ever true to her word over a year ago, the two saw each other weekly and spoke via telephone or e-mail daily. The mother daughter duo had completely rekindled their relationship and Videl had even built another mother daughter relationship with Chi Chi.

Ever since the day Videl had moved in the with Son household Chi Chi treated her as if she was one of her own; she would scold Videl if needed and could bring her up whenever she was down. Videl never once felt out of place at the household, and had she ever made herself seem like she was a guest, Chi Chi was quick to correct her.

"Where's Yamcha mom?" Videl asked as she hung her mom's coat up for her.

"Oh, the poor guy, he's got a bad case of the flu" Aaliyah said with a slight smile. She and Yamcha had been going strong since they went to the New Years ball over a year ago.

"How do you know he's not just faking it?" The two heard a voice behind them and turned around and saw Krillin, 18 and Marron.

Aaliyah gave the family a smile, "well if he's faking it, he faked it all over the kitchen floor, and then a few more times in the bathroom upstairs" Aaliyah replied earning a disgusted look from Krillin.

"Poor guy" he muttered, shaking his head as he walked into the cozy house and went to do his rounds greeting the members of the Son family.

Not long after the arrival of Aaliyah and Krillin's family did Bulma, Vegeta and Trunks show up.

Bulma had been keeping a secret lately from everyone except from Chi Chi, she had wanted it to be a surprise, which was part of the reason she had wanted to have a get together.

"Hey Bulma" Goku said with a smile as he gave her a puzzled look. "Have you put on some weight?" Goku asked earning a glare from Bulma.

"I thought the same thing too" Vegeta muttered earning another glare from his wife.

"They two of you can shut up" she snapped as she stormed out of the room to go and greet Chi Chi in the kitchen.

Once everyone had arrived and Chi Chi received help in the kitchen dinner was made quickly. Now everyone was sitting down at the table and getting ready to start eating.

Videl took her seat beside Gohan and poked his leg gently to get his attention. "Has Bulma put on a little weight?" Videl whispered to Gohan as she casually eyed the slightly fuller form Bulma now had.

"I think she might have. She has always been a fan of chocolate" Gohan whispered causing Videl's eyes to roll.

"I was wondering if she was pregnant" she whispered back causing Gohan to look back in shock. Before he could respond to Videl, both Chi Chi and Bulma stood at the head of the table.

"Ahem" Chi Chi said, while clearing her throat and drawing everyone's attention. "everyone Bulma has an announcement" Chi Chi said, sending a smile to Bulma as she let Bulma now start to speak.

"Well, as you know, we were going to meet up for this dinner so we could discuss the barbeque for next week that I'm hosting" Bulma said, her smile now grew. "But, I'd like you to know I'm throwing this barbeque as a celebration. Guys… I'm pregnant" She said with a smile as Vegeta's jaw dropped.

"Vegeta, you old dog" Goku said as he punched Vegeta in the arm causing him to blush.

"Aw congratulations Bulma" Aaliyah said as she stood up and gave Bulma a hug. "How long?" Aaliyah asked causing Bulma's smile to still hold strong.

"Almost two months" She said with a smile as Vegeta still looked stunned.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Vegeta muttered out, a blush still lingering on his cheeks.

"You're a Saiyan, I though you would have sensed it by now" She said, sending a glare his way, "you've been so preoccupied with training, I figure I'd tell you when I told everyone else" she said as his gaze softened a little.

"Wow, V, you were right" Gohan said with a laugh.

"I thought she had just gained weight" Goku said earning a glare from his wife and Bulma. He then waved his hands frantically in front of him as he spoke again trying to calm the angered women, "you look great Bulma, you've got a glow about you. I'm very happy for you" he said, earning a smile from the two women and breathed a sigh of relief. A woman pregnant with Saiyan children have absolutely wicked mood swings, and they start at almost any time during the pregnancy.

"I loved being pregnant" 18 said as she gave Bulma a hug. "it's just…such an awesome feeling knowing something is growing inside of you" she said with a slight smile as Krillin put his arm around her waist.

Chi Chi heaved a blissful sigh, "I can't wait until Videl gets pregnant. Our grandkids are going to be so adorable" she said, causing Gohan and Videl to blush. She then started to laugh as she spoke to the blushing teens, "Videl is going to have awful mood swings. Poor you Gohan" she said, ignoring the two blushing teens.

"So Bulma, what would you like me to bring to the barbeque" Videl said loudly, quickly changing the subject in order to spare her and Gohan some more embarrassment. She loved Gohan but geez, they've been together a little over a year and their families were already planning for kids, they weren't even out of high school.

"Think you can make some of your delicious desserts again?" Bulma asked as she piled food on her plate, clearly her appetite had already increased.

"Only if Marron can help me again" she said, earning a smile from the excited child.

~*~ Later that night~*~

Everyone had now left about an hour ago and our two teenage lover birds were watching a movie on the couch, everyone else had gone to bed. Videl was curled up against Gohan, ignoring the movie while Gohan gently ran his finger tips along her back while he watched the movie.

"Thank god it's the weekend" Gohan muttered, earning a nod from Videl.

"Yea, that week was brutal, I swear I've done nothing but history" she said, removing her face slightly form Gohans chest.

"Well now we get to take it easy" he said "and now we can play with my brother and dad" he said, laughing at all the plans the two had already made for them.

"I can't wait to sleep in" she muttered, once again placing burying her face back into his chest, "I can't believe the mountain air still takes this much out of me" she said, rubbing her eyes, and she noticed it was nearing midnight.

"Well, go to bed, we can watch the rest of the movie tomorrow night" he said quietly as he held her closer to his body, his mind racing with thoughts and preparations.

"I think that may be a good idea" she mumbled as she suppressed a yawn.

"Come on" he said, sitting up gently bringing her with him.

She grunted in response and stood to her feet. The two then walked into the small bathroom upstairs and both started to brush their teeth. Once they were done with their bedtime preparations, they met in the hallway they always met in before they both retreated to their rooms.

Gohan embraced Videl, pulled her feet off the ground so he was at eyelevel with him. "Sweet dreams" he said quietly, as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to her.

"Night sweetheart" she mumbled, smiling against his lips. "I'll see you in the morning" she said as Gohan gently put her back on the ground and leaned down to meet her height to give her another hug and a kiss.

"See you in the morning" he said quietly as they pulled away from their hug and gave her a smile and a small wave.

The two then parted for their rooms and headed to bed.

~*~

Videl walked down the dark street, clutching the straps on her backpack. She didn't know why but she got a very uneasy feeling as she left the library.

'Why's it so empty? It's only 5:45" Videl thought to herself as she looked around the street and noticed it was completely deserted.

"I'm going to be late" she said quietly as she stopped and looked for a short cut to her destination. She had thought about flying but thought it was too risky; chances are someone would see her flying through town. She looked down a pathway through a wooded area. "That will probably be quicker" she said quietly as she turned towards the wooded park area. Still amazed at how empty the area was.

She moved and walked down the empty pathway, feeling a cool breeze hit her and send a chill through her body. Even though she was wearing a jacket she couldn't help but feel a strange cold sensation.

A few minutes into her walk she suddenly had a feeling of regret hit her deep in her stomach. She heard a stick snap and turned around quickly trying to find the source of the noise.

"Stupid squirrel" she muttered, trying to set her mind at ease. She started power walking, trying to arrive quicker at her destination before she was really late for the get together.

Once again, she heard a snapping noise followed by the rustling behind some trees. Before she could react she then heard the sound of running, simply acting on impulse she started running in response.

She turned around trying to find the source of the noise then was surprised when she felt herself running into something. She shook her head in surprised as she was knocked backwards but before she could question what was going on she felt something grab her from behind.

She opened her mouth the scream but felt something hit her head, stunning her momentarily. Then she felt a wet cloth was being pressed against her face as she inhaled a strange smell. 'Is that…chloroform?" she thought as sleep now started taking over her.

All she could hear was a deep laughter as she welcomed the world of unconsciousness.

Her eyes quickly snapped open as she sat up in her bed, her breathing was heavy and her face was damp from her cold sweat.

'What the hell was that?' Videl thought to herself as she inhaled deeply trying to calm her rapid heart rate.

"Damn dreams" she muttered as she wiped the back of her hand against her damp forehead. She turned and looked at the clock them flopped back on her bed and yawned loudly. "Four in the morning" she muttered as she closed her eyes. Every time she closed her eyes she could smell chloroform or felt like someone was stalking her.

She reached her arm out and touched her touch sensor lamp and turned it on to the lowest light. She opened the drawer to her night stand and pulled out a small photo album. Every since her mom came back to life she started to save family pictures with everyone; she even had a few of her and Vegeta together, granted he wore a scowl in everyone.

She slowly flipped through the many pages of pictures and reflected on the memories that each picture brought back to her. She smiled to herself, 'life really did get better when I left dad' she thought to herself as she looked at a picture of her from a year ago.

She felt herself frown when she noticed how small and bony she had been, she pulled a picture of her and Gohan together that was taken recently and held it against a picture from a year ago. She noticed she did indeed seem much happier then she had back then, and noticed that even though she had put ten pounds on in that year, she felt and looked happier and had never felt more comfortable in her skin.

"I love it here" she mumbled quietly as she felt her eyes growing heavy as she continued to flip through the photo pages. She put the book down on her bed and looked around at the many pictures that she had on her desk and dresser as well as the ones she had hanging on the wall. Each picture brought forth a new memory. A memory she was happy to think about, trying to push the dream she had not long ago out of her head.

She lay back down on her bed and continued to think of happy thoughts and quickly felt the memory of her dream being pushed away and felt her body grow tired. Slowly her eye lids began to drop and she felt herself drifting off to a peaceful sleep once again.

~*~

A flash appeared in front of Gohans eyes, it was as if someone was showing black and white pictures to him, but the flashes were so quick he couldn't figure out what the pictures were of.

"It's not over" a voice whispered as he turned around trying to find the source of the voice.

"What's not over?" he questioned out loud hoping to receive an answer.

"It's not over yet" the voice repeated once again.

"What's not over?" Gohan repeated again getting a little annoyed. Suddenly he felt a flash and was in the room with an older version of what he assumed was Videl.

She stared at him with blank eyes, dressed in a white gown giving her an almost angelic look.

"Are you alright?" Gohan questioned as she snapped out of her dazed stupor. The woman was definitely the older version of Videl, Gohan recognized her from his dream of them having a baby girl together.

"It's not over" she repeated quietly as she stared over at him, snapping out of her dazed stupor.

"What's not over?" he repeated again, more confused than ever, but felt a little apprehensive about what she was talking about.

"I can't tell you, but it's not over" she repeated as she lowered her head and slowly started drifting off into a dark background. The flashing had stopped and now he stood in a dark void.

He suddenly sat up in his bed and looked around, 'what the heck was that?' he thought to himself as he looked around at his surroundings to figure out where he was.

"I hate dreaming" he muttered as he flopped back down on the bed. He gave a loud yawn then closed his eyes again, leave it to a Saiyan to be able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. With that he quickly fell back asleep, oblivious to the world around him.

~*~ A few days later~*~

Both Gohan and Videl didn't mention their strange dreams that they had had to each other, neither feeling a reason to. However, both were more than a little curious as to why it happened. Videl was trying to figure out if she was in danger and Gohan was trying to figure out what wasn't over yet.

Both acted normal, but often felt that their minds were preoccupied with other thoughts.

The two teens were flying home from their school. "Thank god it's Wednesday" Videl commented as they flew quickly through the air.

"What's so good about Wednesday?" Gohan asked as he turned to give Videl his attention.

"It's hump day" she stated as if it were the most common knowledge in the world. She turned to Gohan and started laughing as she noticed he was blushing and avoiding her gaze. "Not that kind of hump you goof" she said with a laugh as his blush grew.

"I mean it's the middle of the week, it's like we're on top of the hump and everything is just going to go quickly down for the weekend" she stated as a look of realization came across his face.

"I knew that" he muttered as a small pink tint lingered on his cheeks.

"Oh I was wondering if at some point tonight if you'd want to go grocery shopping so I can get the stuff to bake for the barbeque" she said, as Gohan listened intently to their conversation.

"Of course I'll go with you. Think you'll have time?" he stated turning so he was flying backwards in front of Videl.

"I figure I'll pick up Marron tomorrow after school, then she'll come over and bake with me, then everything is ready for Friday. Which also reminds me After school on Friday I'm going to go to the library to grab some history books for my project, then I'll just walk over to Bulma's" she said, then noticing the worried look on Gohans face.

"I can go with you" He said as he gazed at her, worry clearly evident on his face.

"They need you to help with setting up for the barbeque, especially since Bulma can't do any heavy lifting since she's pregnant" Videl rationalized as the house quickly was coming into view.

"I'm sure they could manage without me, I really don't have a problem going with you" he said as they were now floating in front of their house and slowly settled down onto the soft grass.

"Sweetie, I know you worry about me, but I promise I'll be fine. I've just got to do some research and take out a few books. I'll be forty five minutes at most. I promise" she said as she walked up to him and held his hands trying to reassure him.

"But last time you said that-"

"I was wrong last time, what could happen? My dad is afraid to do anything that would associate himself with me. He even avoids the press when they question me" she questioned, cutting him off in mid sentence.

"I don't know" he muttered, still having a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, he opened the door for the two of them then closed it gently behind him.

"Don't worry" she said as she gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm going to go call 18 and let her know I'll get Marron tomorrow after school" she said as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran upstairs to her bedroom to place the call.

"Gohan heaved a deep sigh and dropped his bag by the couch and sat down at the dining room table.

"Hello sweetie, how was school" Chi Chi said as she came into the dining room, drying her hands on her apron.

"Was alright thanks" he mumbled as she took a seat across from him.

He saw her face light up and instantly knew what she was going to question him about. "So it's Videl's birthday next month" she said with a grin as Gohan looked up to show that he was paying attention. "Do you know what you're going to get her?" she asked.

"I do. I think you or another person should come with me though. I have absolutely no idea what size she would be" he said as he watched his mothers grin grow.

"She's going to flip when she wears it" she said as she got a dreamy look in her eyes.

"I'm going to throw her a surprise party too" he said with a smile, pleased at how he had already planned her birthday. Just one more month then he'll throw her the surprise party of her life.

"Hey Gohan, daddy and I are going for a swim, want to join us?" Goten asked as he bounded into the kitchen.

"Sure thing squirt, just let me go change" he said as he got up and ruffled Goten's hair and let to go get changed.

After swimming, and after a very large meal Gohan and Videl were now flying to pick up all the ingredients Videl would need for baking as well as a few things Chi Chi needs.

The landed a few minutes away from a grocery store and walked in a comfortable silence. They managed to fill three carts quickly with all the ingredients needed to make all of the delicious desserts and were now in the process of having everything rung through, creating a very large bill for them.

As the cashier was ringing through the many carts worth of food the two heard a voice that they instantly recognized.

"Hey Gohan" a sultry voice said as they now view Angela latch herself onto Gohans arm.

"Oh hi Angela" Gohan said as he rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing what to do with the annoying girl that was latched onto his arm.

"How's that tattoo doing?" Videl asked in an annoyed tone.

"Shut up" she said as she gave a glare to Videl. She then looked up at Gohan and bated her eyes, "you know Gohan, if I could rearrange the alphabet I'd but U and I together" she said with a smile, pleased with her pick up line.

"Well, then it's a good thing that the letters N and O are together" he said as she gave him a glare and he pulled his arm away from her. "See you tomorrow" he said as he turned around earning a bigger glare from Angela.

Angela then stomped her foot in frustration and stormed off into a random isle in the store.

Videl smiled as she hugged Gohan around his waist. "I have never been so turned on in my life" she said quietly earning a blush from Gohan.

"You're serious?" he whispered quietly as his blush deepened and Videl giggled slightly at his response.

"Excuse me sir? Your total is five hundred and seventy five dollars and eighty six cents" the young female cashier said.

"Here, I'll put it on my credit card" he said as he handed her his Visa.

"That job working with Bulma has really paid off eh?" Videl questioned as she started to capsule the groceries to make it easier to carry.

"You have no idea" he said with a smile, 'you really have no idea' he thought, smiling inwardly knowing what was to come.

"Alright, I'm ready when you are" Videl said with a smile as she stuck the capsules in her pocket.

"Lets boogie" Gohan said as they walked off and quickly took to the sky to fly back to their house.

~*~Thursday~*~

Gohan and Videl had just arrived back at their place with Marron with them. They didn't make mention of Videl going to the library by herself tomorrow, but both knew that there was tension between the two of them surround that topic.

Gohan sat in the living room, watching Videl and Marron make their cheesecakes, while the rest of his family along with Bulma's family were talking animatedly.

A loud crackle of thunder snapped Gohan out of his trance. "Man, it's a really beauty out there eh?" Goku said as he stared out the window, watching the heavy ran pound against their glass windows.

"I've always enjoyed watching the rain" Bulma said as she chewed on a sandwich that Chi Chi had made for her after getting a craving for meat. "Something about it…its so calming but it's frightening at the same time" she mused out loud as another loud crack of thunder went off.

As the next bright bolt of lightning went off, a small scream was heard from the kitchen. Chi Chi heaved a heavy sigh, "I think I enjoy it more when the power stays on" she said as they now sat in darkness.

"Is everything alright in there" Gohan called as he stood up from his seat and walked towards the kitchen. He collected a small amount of energy in his hand so he could light the way for him while his father did the same as he helped Chi Chi look for candles.

"Yea, we're alright thanks" Videl said with a small laugh. Once the lightening had gone off as well as the power, it had startled Marron and she ended up throwing cream cheese in Videl's face by accident.

"I'm so sorry Del" Marron said, once she saw that she had thrown the blend of cream cheese and sugar at Videl.

"That's alright Marron, no harm done. Besides, there's only a little on my face right?" She said earning an apologetic nod from her.

Gohan reached into a drawer and pulled out a cloth then ran it under the sink for a moment and handed it to Videl. "There's just some on your right cheek" he said with a smile as she thanked him and cleaned off her face.

Another loud boom of thunder went off causing both Videl and Marron to jump in surprise.

Gohan picked Marron up as her eyes started to well up with tears. "it's alright Marron, you're safe in here" Gohan said as he tried to sooth the young girl who now gripped Gohan tightly out of fear of the storm.

"I don't like storms" she said quietly as she sniffled into Gohans dark t-shirt.

Videl gave a small smile, "Don't worry Marron, loud storms scare me too" she said as stepped closer to the light Gohan was illuminating.

"They do?" the young girl questioned quietly.

"Yep, everyone is afraid of something. But do you want to know what helps me feel a little better when I'm scared during a storm like this?" she asked in a gentle tone as the girl lifted her face up from Gohans shirt and looked at her questioningly.

"My mom used to tell me that during storms like this, angels are bowling, and when you hear thunder, that's the banging of the ball. Then when there's lightning and thunder that means an angel got a strike" Videl said, earning a smile from Gohan in response.

A quieter boom of thunder came and Gohan smiled at the startled girl. "They must be having a really good game up there" he said with a laugh earning a smile from Marron.

"That doesn't make the storm sound so scary" Marron said as her tears slowly started to stop and a nervous smile came out on to her face.

"If it makes you feel any better at least you're scared of a scary storm" Videl said earning a confused look from Gohan. Videl then leaned in closer and whispered, "Gohan is afraid of mice" she said, earning a shocked look from her boyfriend and a giggle from Marron.

"I am not!" Gohan protested as they two girls laughed. "If I remember correctly it was you and my mom who were standing on a table when a mouse was spotted. Then I blinked and you ran up the stairs faster than I could see" he said as they two girls continued to laugh.

"Be that as it may, you were the one who locked yourself in the car when a mouse appeared in front of it" she said earning an unimpressed look from Gohan.

"That was you!" he protested once again only to be met by a big smile. (**Authors note: Ok, it was me. I pulled into my drive way and a mouse popped out of the ground in front of my car and I locked myself in the car. I'm not too sure why, I guess I was worried about the mouse trying to car jack me. lol Anyways back to the story**)

"Wow, big strong Gohan is afraid of a little mousey!" Marron giggled earning a sigh from Gohan.

"Lets go join the others" Gohan said in a defeated voice as Videl gave him a smile. Videl then quickly put the cheesecake mixture in the fridge then linked her arm with Gohans and went to join the others.

"I'm just saying, I hope it's a girl" the three heard Goku say with a laugh.

"Please do explain why you think that would be so amusing Kakarot" Vegeta said with a glare as Goku gave him his famous grin.

"I can see it now…" Goku said as his grin grew, he then lowered his voice in an attempt to mimic Vegeta and spoke, "I am Vegeta, prince of all Saiyans, bow down before me for I kill without regret and eat kittens for breakfast, without the milk…what's that sweetie? A tea party? Why I'd be happy to join you and Misses Hippo-bottom" he said as Vegeta glare only grew as Bulma and Chi Chi started laughing.

"I would pay to see that" Bulma said with a laugh as Vegeta shot her a dirty look. "Don't even try and intimidate me with that look" Bulma said as she now glared back at him. "Do you really want to mess with a hormonal, pregnant woman with a Saiyan child?" she said as Vegeta looked away as she smiled with satisfaction.

"Don't worry Vegeta, you'll know soon if you'll be having tea parties or if you'll be sparring and training another little boy" Chi Chi said as she gave the angry Saiyan a grin.

"Bulma, if you ever catch Vegeta having a tea party, I will give you anything in the world for a copy of that tape" Gohan said as he, Videl and Marron now took a seat on the empty couch, joining the group that was talking around the candles.

"Kakarot you're a dead man" Vegeta seethed as Goku grin only grew to a full blown classic smile.

"You'd look darling in a bonnet" He said as everyone burst out laughing and Vegeta stood up in anger.

"That's it, you and me Kakarot, outside. We'll fight to the death" he seethed as he pointed out the window to emphasize his point.

"You'll mess your hair up Vegeta" Videl said as she gave him a smile which was returned with a glare.

"You shut up" He said as he turned back to Goku and heard Bulma heave a heavy sigh. "Vegeta, this baby is getting bigger, and because it's a Saiyan it's getting bigger fast. I can't be traveling the world to find the dragon balls to wish you back to life when I'm in this condition" she said as she lightly grabbed Vegeta's hand gently. Much to everyone's surprise, Vegeta didn't pull his hand away from her, however he didn't sit down yet either, he simply smirked.

"I'm going to give you a needle in your sleep" he said, his smirk only grew as Goku visibly paled.

"You're afraid of needles Goku?" Marron innocently questioned from her perch on Gohans lap.

"Marron, don't ever trust someone with a needle, they're evil" Goku said, still shaken up at the threat of receiving a needle.

"Gohan is afraid of mice" she said with a smile as everyone turned and gave Gohan a blank look. Gohan slapped his forehead and blushed while Videl started to laugh.

"I…didn't know that about you" Chi Chi said as she gave Gohan a weird look.

"I'm not, Videl told Marron that" he said as Videl laughed louder.

"Nope, Marron knows, Gohan is afraid of mice" she said with a grin as Gohans blush remained on his cheeks.

"Oh yea, well you have Triskaidekaphobia" Gohan retorted earning a confused look from everyone.

"Videl, you're afraid of triskets?" Goku asked as he gave the teenage girl a funny look.

"Not that I remember. I think I ate some the other day" Videl said as Gohan laughed a little.

"It's a fear of the number thirteen, not triskets" Gohan said with a laugh as Goku and Videl blushed at their mistake.

Vegeta shook his head as he sat down and once again spoke up. "You'll get what's coming Kakarot just you wait, I'll get you back. See that storm outside, that means one thing and one thing only; trouble is coming".

~*~

Alright that's chapter 18, I hope you enjoyed it and I really hope I receive reviews for more motivation! I don't know if people dislike the use of music in my stories (if you do please tell me), however I'm basing this on personal experience. No I've never had a ball like I made in this story, but I have sung music with people while cleaning, and did a similar thing with my cousin while I was getting him to help me clean only a few weeks ago. I suggest you try it; it's more fun than you'd think!

Anyways, I've set up a few questions for what could possibly happen for the next few chapters…wonder if anyone can guess what will happen!! Hope you liked it and I'll get started on chapter 19.

Read and review please!!


	19. Friday's Arrival

Alright guys, here is chapter 19! Now I'd like to just say thank you to everyone who reviewed me; I absolutely loved it, you're all so sweet and I'm more then flattered that you all are enjoying my story as much as you say you are. Now I know people have commented on the length, but I'd just like to say that when I'm reading a story, if I have to wait for a chapter, I love it when the author adds a long chapter, one that takes more than ten minutes to read. I feel it helps keep interest alive as well as makes the wait worthwhile; just my opinion at least.

For those who offered their support, I'd like to say a sincere thank you; my life hasn't gotten worse for the time being, but I wouldn't say it's gotten any better, I'm hanging out in limbo.

Anyways, here is chapter 19, I hope you all enjoy it and once again…please read and review!

**Chapter 19: Friday's Arrival**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Friday; a day that was highly enjoyed by teenagers in high school, however for one teenager, it was a day that he had been worried about for over a week. After the storm in the mountains last night, Gohan had been nothing but edgy, it was as if the gods or Mother Nature was trying to foreshadow something that was to come. Try as he might, Gohan couldn't help but feel uneasy this day, something about it just didn't give him a good vibe.

As soon as Gohan had woken up that day, he felt something in the pit of his stomach and no matter what he did he couldn't shake his uneasiness.

Videl hadn't seemed to be effected by his nervousness and was simply taking on the day as if it were another day. She was nothing but smile to everyone she saw, and was talking continually of how she was looking forward to the celebration at Bulma's after school.

She and Gohan had hammered out the details of what was going to take place after school today; Gohan would return home after school, and Videl would head to the library, do some research and take out history texts, then she would head over to Bulmas just as everything would be getting into full swing.

Gohan still tried to convince her to let him go with her, but she instead that she would be fine and that he would be needed to help lift and prepare everything since Bulma wouldn't be able to do much lifting now that she was carrying another child inside of her.

Much to Gohans dismay, the day was also flying by as well and before he knew it his final class for the day was reaching its last hour, meaning the end was near.

Gohan chewed the top of his pen as he tuned the teacher out and stared over at Videl who had been intently taking notes.

'I've got such a bad feeling about today' Gohan thought to himself nervously as Videl turned, as if sensing his eyes on her and gave him a quick smile before returning to taking her notes for biology.

'She seems so laid back, why am I so worried? This makes no sense. She's one of the strongest women I've ever met, she can take care of herself' he thought to himself, feeling a smile come to his lips as he thought about Videls flattering qualities.

Gohan stayed lost in his thoughts for the rest of the class, as he stared blankly a head as the teacher rambled on about cellular biology.

Videl looked up from her paper and noticed that Gohan seemed completely consumed in his thoughts. 'He seems so on edge today' she thought to herself as she took a quick glance at Gohan again and frowned at the blank expression on his face.

'I won't be gone long, I don't get why he's so worried' she argued with herself as she started to tune out the teacher as well, 'I do suppose he has some good reason to…I mean every time I've said that I'll be fine something has happened to me. But I haven't had anything bad happen to me since that dill hole shot me at the ball' she thought, having an internal conversation with herself.

'No things will be fine. I'll go to the library, check out the texts that I'll need for the project, then I'll quickly head over to Bulma's. No harm done' she told herself internally, nodded her head in agreement with herself.

"Huh?" She muttered out loud as she noticed her classmates were starting to stand up, she then noticed that Gohan too was in a confused state much like hers.

"Is class over?" She questioned no one in particular.

"Guess so" Gohan muttered quietly as he started to pack his stuff into his backpack, a solemn look on his face.

"Walk a lady to her locker?" Videl asked with a smile, trying to ease his worries as she extended her hand to Gohan.

"I'd walk my lady anywhere" he said with a smile as he stood up and gently grasped her hand as they started to talk out of the nearly empty class room.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Gohan spoke up, starting a conversation. "So what is it again that you need to research?" he asked, nervousness clearly evident in his voice.

"I've got to write a report on the ancient ways for criminal codes. The teacher told us to start from mythological times, and go up to almost the middle ages. So I'm going to do research on Greek mythological creatures and what they stood for and how they influenced the criminal codes and laws, then make comparisons to the ways of the laws and criminal codes later in time, such as in the middle ages" she said as she tried to understand what was running through Gohan's mind at the time.

"Bulma probably has resources that could help you" he said, desperately trying to find a way to ease his uneasiness.

Videl let out a small laugh, "Bulma probably has sources dating from those times…but is gives a list of suggested resources and told us to limit ourselves to the sources that are in our library. Sweetie, I don't know why you're worried but I wish you wouldn't be" she said as she heaved a small sigh.

"I've just got a bad feeling is all" he said quietly as they slowly walked to their lockers.

"They need your help, and quite frankly I'm sure your mom could use your help in handling Goten and Trunks. Let's face it, Bulma isn't in the condition to chase after him anymore and you can help keep them quite to fight off her mood swings" she reasoned, as she thought back to a recent mood swing she had where she nearly threw her son threw a window.

They reached their lockers and Gohan silently went through and pulled out the text books he would need to complete his weekend homework.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked weakly as she put a few text books in her locker and double checked to make sure that she had her lists of possible books she could use.

"I'm not mad" he said quietly as he shut his locker and out his lock back on. "I'm just worried is all" he said as he looked up at her with sad eyes as she offered a weak smile.

"If I think I'm going to be late, I'll call you. You're welcome to text message me at any point and if for some reason I feel uneasy I'll take to the air or I'll call you. I promise everything will be alright" she said as she gently wrapped her arms around his trim waist.

"I do trust you, I don't know, something just doesn't feel right about today" he said as he returned the gentle hug.

"I'll try not to be longer than an hour, and at most it should take twenty minutes to get to Bulma's, it will be alright hun" she said as she leaned up and gently gave him a peck on the lips.

"You promise thing will be ok?" he asked.

"I'll do everything I can" she said with a small smile. "Now, would you care to walk a lady to the library?" she asked as she held her hand out.

"My lady gets what my lady wants" he said with a small smile as he grasped her hand gently and proceeded to walk down the hallway together and exit the school building.

The walk to the library was much shorter then Gohan would have liked but they quickly arrived. Gohan turned and gave her a meek smile and leaned forward to embrace her and capture her lips in a kiss.

"I'll see you shortly?" he questioned as he gently pulls his lips away from hers but still held her in a hug.

"You will indeed, and I'll watch you guys pig out as your poor mom slaves away on the barbeque" she said with a laugh as she squeezed him lightly.

"Bye" she said gently as she gave him a quick kiss and slowly pulled away from his embrace, much to his dismay.

"Bye" he said weakly as he waved and watch her disappear into the large building.

"You better stay ok" he said quietly as he turned around and went to find an empty alley so he could take off and arrive at Bulma's quicker.

~*~ At Bulma's~*~

Videl had been right when she said that they would need Gohans help to keep the chaos minimal.

He had managed to keep Trunks from tying Goten to the ceiling again with white streamers and had managed to stop Vegeta from fighting Goku. Gohan had seemed on edge and people were now starting to take note of it.

"Is everything alright Gohan?" Goku said as he placed a hand on his eldest sons shoulder.

"Something just doesn't feel right, I've got a bad feeling about today is all" he said as he tried to shake the thoughts out of his head.

"Is it about Videl?" Goku questioned lightly.

"Yea, I don't feel so comfortable with her being by herself" he said quietly as he stared at his feet, avoiding eye contact.

"I can completely understand that…but you've got to understand that she's a grown woman and she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She can put Vegeta in her place, I'm sure she can manage anything else that gets thrown at her" he said with a smile, remembering all the times Videl had put the prince of saiyans into his place.

"I know she's capable…just something doesn't feel right" he said as he sat on the couch and let out a defeated sigh.

"Just relax" he said, putting a comforting hand on his sons shoulder. "On a similar topic…how do you think you're going to give Videl her gift?" Goku asked with a grin, knowing what was to come.

"I'm going to throw her a surprise party and give her the gift there. Mom and Bulma are coming with me next week to go shopping, then when I find one that I like, 18 and Aaliyah are going to come to give me another opinion. They're also coming because I'm sure between the four of them, one of them will be similar to Videl's size. Lord knows I'm not" he said with a laugh and a smile, knowing what was to come.

"I can't wait to see her expression" Goku grinned excitedly.

"Yea…I've got it all worked out…she's going to be so surprised. I'm going to plan this surprise party better than anything I've ever done before" Gohan said with a grin as his father laughed.

"I'll be happy to help with anything that you may need assistance with" Goku said with a grin as he let out a laugh.

"Goku, Gohan!" the two heard Chi Chi yell as she walked into the room where the two were sitting.

"Can you help me bring the meat out so I can start barbequing? I'd ask Bulma…but she's starting to get cranky. And I mean real cranky" Chi Chi said as she rubbed her temple to emphasize her point.

The two nodded as they stood up and followed Chi Chi towards the kitchen. As they walked through the hallways, they looked out into the large backyard and noticed that Bulma was now holding Krillin off the ground by the neck of his shirt.

He waved his hands frantically as he tried to explain something but Bulma seemed oblivious to the fact and simply wanted to pummel the former monk.

Goku shook his head sympathetically, "I do not miss Chi being pregnant" he said quietly as he earned a laugh from Gohan.

"I don't miss it either. I'm still afraid to sneeze during the middle of the night for fear of getting smacked with that stupid frying pan" Gohan said as he absent-mindly rubbed his head.

"Just you wait till you have kids; if it's with Videl, she's already got a temper on her, only imagine what It will be like with her" Goku said as his smile turned to a frown.

"You're a dead man" Chi Chi chimed in as she turned to see her son go a bright shade of red.

"Word to the wise…if she wants anything at any time of the night...get it. It will save you from receiving an earful of unnecessary yelling" Goku said as Chi Chi smirked.

"I once sent your father out at four thirty in the morning because I wanted a Twix and mushroom smoothly. The sweetie went out and bought the chocolate and the mushrooms then even blended them together for me" Chi Chi said with a dreamy smile as they reached the kitchen.

"All that" she said as she pointed to the fridge full of food, " needs to come outside please" she said as she received a nod from the two and walked off to meet them outside so she could begin cooking the large mounds of food.

"I cannot wait to eat all this food. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water now" Goku said as he wiped drool from his mouth. He noticed shortly after he made that comment that if fell on deaf ears.

"Gohan?" he questioned, snapping his son out of his dazed stupor.

"Sorry dad" he mumbled as Goku gave him a worried look.

"Have you tried to contact her or anything?" Goku asked as he started piling plates of meat in front of him to carry out to his wife.

"I text messaged her and asked how things were going and she messaged me back saying all was fine and that it was boring as ever" Gohan said as he followed his father's lead.

"Just try and relax, I know you're worried, but try and take it easy. She said she'd be back within the hour, it's only been about an hour now; there's lots of books out there that could be useful, just be patient" Goku said as he placed a hand on Gohans shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You'll be back to making out and planning that surprise party in no time" Goku said, earning a small blush from Gohan.

Gohan heaved a heavy sigh in an attempt to cover his blush, "if you say so dad" he said in defeat as he followed his father's lead outside.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

Videl heaved a sigh as she grabbed another big textbook. "I'm starting to wonder if getting involve in criminalistics was a good choice after all" she muttered to herself as she piled it on top of the other three books she was holding.

She brought it back to her desk and started to flip through the glossary. 'I love history and all, but even I'm getting bored with all of this' she thought t herself as she heaved an exasperated sigh and started sticking sticky notes on pages where she felt she'd find useful information.

She was startled by her phone vibrating in her pocket; she reached in and grabbed it, knowing it would most likely be a text message from Gohan.

She smiled to herself, she was right. "How are things going?" she read out loud, and then quickly started to message a reply back.

She rubbed her eyes, feeling a little drained from all this mental work. "Three sources down, five more to go" she said out loud as she started looking for new books in the library.

Before she knew it she had almost been at the library for an hour. She flipped through the pages in her books and nodded to herself in satisfaction as she continued to flip though pages, marking any section she felt she missed that may contain information that would aid her grade in her assignment.

"That should do" she muttered to herself as she started to pile the eight heavy books into her arms and carry them to the checkout counter at the front of the library.

"Doing a little research are we?" an elderly Hispanic woman asked from behind the check out. She gave Videl a once over and nodded as if she were approving of her checking the books out.

"Yea, I've got this big history project on criminalistics coming up, I figured I'd get a jump start on my research while I can and save me from scrambling for information and sources later" Videl explained as she brushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"Smart thinking for a girl your age, that boy of yours is clearly rubbing off on you" The elderly woman said with a smile as she gave Videl a small wink, causing the teenager to blush.

Videl knew very well that her relationship with Gohan was well known about. All of the school was surprised at the fact that Videl, the strongest girl in the whole school, was now dating who was commonly known as the smartest nerd in school. Most guys had figured Videl was a lesbian simply because of the way she brushed them all off or threatened them in the past, everyone wouldn't help but wonder just what it was that Videl found so fascinating about Gohan.

"His good habits are starting to rub off a little" she said quietly with a blush.

"That's a good thing dear, it could be worse; he could be into sex drugs and rock and roll" the librarian said as she continued to check out the other books that had been placed on the counter by Videl.

Videl couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Gohan being into all three of those things, "his mother would kill him if she thought he was into any of those things" Videl said with a laugh earning a smile from the librarian.

"Alright dear, the books are due back two weeks from now…now head on home, it's a Friday and the library is no place for a spunky girl like yourself" the librarian said as Videl flashed her a smile.

She piled the books into her backpack quickly, "thank you" she said as she allowed her grin to grow, "you have yourself a wonderful weekend" she said to the woman as she waved to her as she started to exit the library.

"Bye Videl, be careful walking home!" The librarian said with a friendly wave as she returned to doing her work.

Videl walked outside and felt a brisk March wind hit her face as she pulled her zip up closer to her body. She felt a smile come to her lips at the fact she's be back with Gohan soon and could start to relax and have fun.

'I bet he's worried about me still' she thought to herself with a small smile at how sweet Gohan was. She pulled out her phone and messaged him to say that she was leaving the library now and should be there within twenty minutes.

A few seconds later she received Gohan's reply. "Why don't you just fly here" she said quietly as she looked around and notice the street seemed to be alive with the daily hustle and bustle. She message him back saying there were too any people around; she then received another message saying he loved her and would see her soon.

Videl closed her phone with a smile on her face, 'life is perfect' she thought to herself, a small smile on her face as she started to walk down the street. She frowned as she noticed that construction was going on the road and knew it meant she'd have to take a different route or be incredibly delayed.

'I can go through the park, or down the alley' she thought to herself, stopping in mid walk as she attempted to assess which way would be safer. 'Park' she thought to herself as she nodded and changed her course of direction so she could cut through the park to get to Bulma's quicker.

She looked around and inhaled deeply as she stepped into the park. She always loved talking a walk through the park; the gardens were slowly starting to bloom and the trees were now heavy with their new leaves creating a darker atmosphere in the park. Small bits of light peeked through the leaves as she started walking through the shaded area.

She took a moment to absorbed her surroundings, but something felt off. "Where is everyone?" she muttered to herself as she looked around. Normally on a Friday afternoon, the park was littered with families and couples going for walks before it got too dark, but today it was empty.

She looked up and through the small exposed areas of sky between the trees she noticed it was becoming overcast, the sky was growing grew gray quickly as a cold breeze started to pick up.

She felt a shiver run through her body as she turned and picked up her pace, no wanting to get out of the park as quick as possible. Her eyes went wide as she heard a twig snap behind her and got the strangest feeling of déjà vu.

"I hate squirrels, stupid furry little buggers" she muttered to herself, hoping that it was simply her imagination. She continued to talk in silence; she continually scanned her view of the park in case anything was waiting ahead of her. She then heard another branch snap, this one sounding closer to her.

Not wanting to try and trick her mind into believing it was something else, she started to jog quickly in an attempt to flee whatever it was that was following her. She heard loud shuffling behind her and she started into a dash. However, no matter how quickly she ran the sound of the footsteps and twigs breaking was right behind her.

She heard a pause in the running; she had an internal battle as to whether or not she wanted to see what was following her. She turned around slightly as she kept up her pace and saw absolutely nothing. She slowly slowed down, inhaling deeply as she tried to catching her breath from the recent sprint.

Before she could react something grabbed her from behind and pressed something against her mouth and nose. Her instincts instantly panicked and she started breathing heavily as whomever it was continued to hold her tightly, preventing her from putting up any kind of a fight.

Her eyes opened wide as something came across her mind quickly. 'Is that chloroform?' she thought to herself as she quickly felt her eyes grow heavy and her body slowly becoming limp. As hard as she tried to fight it, the chloroform was clearly having its intended effect on her.

The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness was the sound of a sinister snicker, and then her body went limp in the arms of whoever was holding her.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

"Ten minutes, she'll here in ten minutes" Gohan muttered as he checked the clock for the twentieth time in five minutes.

"Hey Gohan, I was thinking…did you want to throw Videl's surprise party here?" Bulma asked as she walked into the room where Gohan was. She wiped her lip to get rid of the crumbs from her sandwich and then took a seat next to him.

"That could work actually, there's much more room here for everyone" Gohan said thoughtfully, temporarily removing his thoughts from concern towards his girlfriend.

"Are you nervous?" She questioned, finishing up the last bit of her snack.

"I guess it's kind of a yes and no. You guys are alright to come out and go shopping next week right?" Gohan said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh course we are and trust me we're all excited, I know you're going to make an awesome choice. Your mom already spoke to the four of us; I may not be Videl size, but we think either 18 or Aaliyah might be. Your mother doesn't think Videl would be her size, she claims she's heavier and has a bigger hip span" Bulma said as she brushed all the crumbs off of her dress.

Gohan scrunched up his face in confusion, "mom is tiny…don't tell me she's going down the same path Videl was" he said in a worried tone.

"No no, with the way your father compliments her, not a chance. But she is like every other female out there and has her insecurities about the odd thing. I mean, I'm the richest woman in the world, and I'm self conscious of the fact that I'm getting fat" she stated bluntly as anger slowly started coming out in her voice.

"Bulma, you're pregnant, not fat" Gohan said as he heaved a sigh. "You can barely tell that you're pregnant from the back anyways" he stated as a look of surprise came across his features.

Bulma sent a glare Gohans way, "so you're saying I look fat from the front?" she questioned.

Gohan now realizing she was having a mood swing desperately attempted to calm her down, "I'm not saying that at all, you look like you're pregnant! And even then, you're barely showing" he exclaimed as he raised his hands in front of him defensively.

"So now you think my pregnancy isn't going as it should be then" she said, still giving Gohan a glare.

"Bulma, you're beautiful and I'm sure your child will be just as attractive. You are pretty" he said as Bulma gave him a big grin.

"Awh Gohan you're such a sweetheart" she said as she gave Gohan a hug and started crying gently. "I'm going to go and find Vegeta" she mumbled as she started rubbing her eyes in an attempt to get rid of the now falling tears.

"My god women are confusing" he muttered. He learned that when his mother was pregnant that the best way to defuse a situation when the woman is calling herself fat is to tell her she is pretty. Worked like a charm on his mother, and now he realized it works for Bulma.

'I wonder if I should tell Vegeta about that little trick' he thought to himself then laughed, 'nah, I think I'll keep quiet about it for now'.

Gohan got up from the room and walked towards the backyard. He noticed that everyone was talking animatedly amongst themselves. He looked over and saw Vegeta blushing wildly as Bulma hugged him and sobbed into his t-shirt talking about how sorry she was for trying to throw him out again.

He walked over to his mother who turned and gave him a smile. ``are we any more relaxed?" she questioned to him with a worried smile. The smile that had previously been on Gohans face now dropped into a look of worry.

"No, I wouldn't say that, I'm still worried. She should be here in…" he trailed off as he looked at the clock that was against the building, "five minutes at most" he said as his mother nodded in approval.

"You can't expect her to be that exact with her timing, give her an extra ten minutes before you start freaking out. You never know, maybe she rescued some kids kitten on the way here and it delayed her. The last thing I need is for you to go super saiyan and start blowing everything away when there's no need to" she said as she placed her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look.

"I only go super if need be" he said sheepishly as Chi Chi sighed.

"Just try and relax sweetie, we're here to have fun and we all know that Videl is more than just a strong, capable woman. She will fight through anything that comes up to her and she'll come out on top. RELAX!" she yelled as Gohan slowly sat down on a chair in an attempt to prove that he was trying to relax.

Gohan took in a deep inhale as he closed his eyes in an attempt to relax. He listened to the conversations around him; he listened to how Aaliyah and Yamcha were planning on going on a vacation together within the next few months, how 18 slapped master Roshi for drooling on her while she was tanning in the sun, as well as how Bulma would tell Vegeta to get out of her house, then three minutes later come back bawling her eyes out and telling him to forgive her.

He continued to listen to the conversations, keeping his breath steady as he attempted to relax and push out any unnerving images from his head. A few minutes later he felt a tug on his pant leg. He opened his eyes, hoping to see Videl, however he saw his little brother.

"What's up squirt?" he questioned as he pulled his younger brother onto his lap to talk at eye level with him.

"Gohan, where's Videl?" Goten asked with a pout. Goten would never admit it, but he loved Videl almost as much as Gohan did and he cared for her like a sister. When she wasn't around he missed her and worried about her when he was without contact with her for such long periods of time.

"She should be here any minute now squirt" he said as he ruffled Goten's hair.

"I feel something bad" Goten said quietly as he looked up at his older brother with scared eyes.

"I fell it too Goten, but all we can do is sit and wait" he said, trying to relax the boy as he attempted to calm himself down.

"Want to hear what dad and I did earlier?" Goten asked, a big smile quickly coming onto his face.

"Of course, what did you two do today?" he asked as Goten proceeded to tell him over the next fifteen minutes how they captured a spider, then put it in Vegeta's hair, then watched as Vegeta freaked out when it crawled onto his forehead, then proceeded to explain how their lives had been threatened yet again.

"Hey Gohan, I thought your mom said Videl was supposed to be here like twenty minutes ago" Aaliyah said as she came up beside the two brothers, interrupting their conversation.

Gohan looked over at the clock; it was indeed little more than twenty minutes past the expected time of Videl's arrival. Gohan was now overcome by worry.

He quickly closed his eyes and extended his senses in an attempt to feel Videl's energy signal, when he felt no signal, panic now officially started setting in.

He quickly set Goten down on the ground and moved quickly over to his father.

"Dad, I need you to try and sense Videl, I can't feel her energy signal and she's late coming here" he said as Goku nodded in agreement and closed his eyes in concentration for a few minutes.

A puzzled look came across his face, "that's so weird…I can't find it" he stated, watching his son gain a look of fear in his eyes.

"Gohan take it easy, give her a couple more minutes, you never know" he said as their conversation drew the attention of everyone in the backyard.

"Five more minutes" Gohan muttered as everyone now sat together, hoping to hear of good news for Gohans sake.

Everyone was now sitting together in a large circle, Gohan pacing in the middle back and forth. "Gohan, you've been pacing back and forth for the past ten minutes now…you're making me nauseous" Bulma said as she slowly rubbed her slightly protruding belly.

"That could be due to the fact that you're knocked up" Vegeta muttered as Bulma sent him a glare. He would pay for that and he knew it, he couldn't help but be entertained by the way her mood changed with the simplest comments.

"It's not like her to be more than half an hour late and now tell me something. She would have called, or text messaged me or something" he said as he continued to pace, much to Bulma's dismay.

"If you're that worried, try sensing her" Chi Chi offered as she watched her son shake his head.

"I've tried, I can get a reading on her energy signal, I can't find her" he stated, worry evident in his voice. He stopped pacing for a few moments and close his eyes again, desperately hoping he would be able to sense her energy signal, but yet again it didn't work; Videl was nowhere to be found.

"Gohan?" Goten questioned as he lightly pulled on his big brother leg in an attempt to get his attention. He waited a few moments, and then repeated this action.

"What is it Goten?" he asked, a little annoyed his brother was interrupting him when he was desperately trying to find his missing girlfriend.

"What about your watch?" Goten questioned as Gohan gave him a look of confusion.

"What about my watch?' he asked, wondering where the small boy was going with this.

"Doesn't your watch pick up police signals? Listen and see if anything is said about Videl" Goten explained as Gohans eyes snapped open wide.

"Goten, you're a genius!" he exclaimed as he gave his smaller brother a quick hug.

He quickly turned his watch on and listened intently, along with everyone else who was sitting in the backyard.

Everyone now and then a comment would be made about a domestic disturbance, or a speeding car on the highway, but nothing that would include Videl.

"Maybe nothing is going on for her to take care of?" Goku questioned, hoping that she would end up alright; he had grown to be very fond of the teenager.

Just as Gohan had opened his mouth to respond the sound of a frantic older man came through on the speaker in the watch.

"I need all units, I repeat, all units to the Satan mansion now" the vice said.

A collective gasp was heard from a few people. "Oh my god, please no" Chi Chi said as she covered her mouth in surprise.

"What's the problem chief? Over." A voice came through.

"People called reporting hearing shots fired at the Satan mansion. I repeat shots fired at the Satan mansion, I need all units report immediately" eh man repeated, his voice sounding more frantic each time he spoke.

"Gohan?" Krillin questioned gently as Gohan had appeared to be frozen in his spot.

Before another breath could be taken Gohan turned into Saiyaman and blasted off towards the Satan mansion, hoping to see Videl alive and well.

"I shouldn't have let her go by herself. This is all my fault" Gohan thought to himself, frantically trying to reach the Satan mansion as quickly as he could. He stopped in surprise when he noticed hundreds of police officers were now on the property of the Satan mansion.

Gohan was shocked at how quickly they reacted then moved into action, hoping to catch a glimpse of Videl, to make sure she was alright, to make sure she was alive.

He landed softly on the grass of the mansion and attempted to run into the building but was stopped by a group of officers.

"Sorry Saiyaman, this is a closed crime scene, you can't go in there for such a high profile case" the officers said as they blocked his entrance.

"I need to make sure Videl is alright, what happened" he asked as he tried to find a way in but noticed all entrances were blocked, including windows.

"I can not disclose that information, you're just going to have to wait until the press release" the man said sternly as Gohan felt his frustration.

"Is Videl ok?" he questioned more forcefully. The men remained quiet, not giving into the intimidating presence of Saiyaman.

"I can not disclose that information. Please vacate the premise" the officer repeated again, hoping to sound slightly intimidating.

"One Satan is dead" rang through one of the officers walkie talkie.

"Which one?" Gohan pressed, is fear now getting the better of his emotions.

"Mister Saiyaman, this is a hard time for all of us, but you're going to have to wait until the press release like everyone else in the city" the man repeated.

"Coroner on route….wait….call a bus, we've got one alive, just barely! We're trying to revive the other" another officer exclaimed, giving Gohan a sense of hope.

"Is it Videl, is she alive?" he questioned, desperately hoping someone would say 'yes Saiyaman, Videl is alive and well no harm done'. However with everyone avoiding his questions he felt as though his hope was quickly dwindling.

Gohans voice was interrupted by the sounds of screaming sirens as two ambulances came speeding onto the Satan property. Quickly the doors opened and paramedics burst towards the mansion with their gurneys.

Gohan waited rather impatiently as they rushed into the building, a few moments later two gurneys came out of the building, one with Videl and the other with Hercule strapped in. The two of them looked much paler than usual, both had their eyes closed, their faces each had blood on them as well as both had an oxygen mask with a re-breathing bag over their faces.

He studied Videl in horror; her ivory skin was now white as glue and she didn't seem to be moving and he couldn't see the steady rise and fall of her chest to see if she was breathing or not.

"Please, let me see her!" Gohan yelled as he tried to get through the throng of police officers blocking his path.

"Look, I can see you're concerned about Videl, Saiyaman, but for now we can't let you see her. Look, wait in the hospital, I'll inform the staff and then we can see if we can get you a visitation" the elderly police chief said, trying to calm the frantic teen.

"Is Videl alive?" He questioned quietly, his fear taking over his senses.

"I don't know if it's her or Mister Satan that's alive, we'll just have to wait and see" he said quietly as Gohan felt his world come crashing down. "We'll see you at the hospital shortly" he said quietly as he motioned for his men t securer the crime scene in order to allow for the C.S.I's to get in and work their magic.

Gohan slumped against a tree when he was told this, he had been so tempted to simply go super and burst through the doors, but he knew that could destroy evidence that they needed to help Videl.

He was jerked out of his thoughts by the vibrating and ringing of his phone. He quickly flew into the sky and pulled it out of his tunic.

"Hello?" he questioned in a solemn voice.

"Gohan, it's me" Goku said from the other end, "what's going on? Is Videl alright?" he asked, knowing everyone on Gokus end of the phone was just as concerned as he was.

"I don' know, they wouldn't let me into the mansion so I couldn't see her. All I know is that either Videl or Hercule is dead, they're trying to resuscitate whoever it is, and the other is just barely alive. I saw them both being taken to the hospital by a gurney, but neither looked responsive and I couldn't feel an energy signal from either" he said, feeling his eyes start to sting with hot, unshed tears.

"I'm sure Videl is the one that's alive, she's a fighter Gohan and there's no way she'd leave you without putting up one hell of a fight" Goku said, trying to calm his clearly upset son.

"This is really scary dad" Gohan said quietly as he felt hot tears slowly make their way down his cheeks.

"Where are you? We'll come and meet you. There's no reason for you to be going through this alone son" Goku said, his fatherly instinct taking over and not wanting Gohan to be alone in such a frightening experience.

"I'm going to the hospital" Gohan replied in a shaky voice, he simply allowed the tears to slow from his eyes and made no attempt to stop or hide them from under his sunglasses.

"We'll meet you at the hospital shortly alright? Hang tight for now. We'll get through this Gohan, I promise, and if something did happen to Videl, we'll wish her back with the Dragon Balls before you even get the chance to miss her alright?" Goku said, trying to reassure his son that things would work out in the end.

"Ok dad, I'll see you shortly" he replied in a quiet voice, then hung up his phone and flew the short trip to the hospital where Videl had been taken.

Gohan had made his way through the hundreds of reporters to sit in the waiting room, fortunately for him, Saiyaman had saved one of the nurses so she pulled a few strings and made sure that he could sit in the waiting room until he received news of Videls condition; whether she be dead or alive. It bothers Gohan how tight lipped they were being to say which one was alive and which one had been killed, but it bothered him more that no energy signal was being emitted from either of the two Satan's.

As he sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair, he felt someone jerk him out of his thoughts, startled he looked down and realized that his mother now had her arms wrapped around Gohan.

"It will be alright sweetie, we'll get through this" Chi Chi said as she hugged him tightly. All Gohan needed was a little skin contact to bring him to tears again and that was indeed what happened.

"Let it out Gohan, just let it all out" she whispered as she held him tightly and felt him return her grip as he cried into his shoulder.

Vegeta normally would have made a snide comment of how showing human emotions was a sign of weakness, especially one that involves blubbering like a baby, but even he held a degree of respect for Gohan at the moment. It was hard not knowing if a loved one was dead or alive, not a thought he ever hoped to experience.

After about ten minutes of letting his frustration and fears out through his tears he regained his composure, "how were you guys allowed in here?" he questioned in a strained voice as he tried to keep calm.

"I spoke to the head coordinator of the hospital; Capsule Corp is a big donator here and I told them I was with the family who had been taking care of Videl for the past year and that she was a family member of ours. As soon as that was explained, and that their funding would be pulled otherwise, they were more than happy to accommodate our little group" Bulma said as a smirk came to her lips. Oh yes, Vegeta was most definitely rubbing off on her.

"That's one way to get the job done. You could have always sent Vegeta to talk with them" Krillin said, attempting to lighten the mood, earning a few laughs in response.

"Gohan, I promise I'll make sure Videl is alright" Goten said as he stood innocently in front of his big brother. "I may not completely understand what's going on, but I hate seeing you like this" Goten said as he moved to sit on Gohans lap and squeeze him tightly in a hug.

"Thanks squirt" Gohan whispered quietly as he returned the hug from his brother. "You guys don't have to stay if you don't want to" Gohan said, as he looked up and the group, still keeping his sunglasses on.

"Gohan, we love Videl as well and want to make sure she's alright. You shouldn't go through this alone, it's much better to have a support system around you. Even the greatest of fighters knows when he needs help and quite frankly, this is a situation you shouldn't be left alone to face" Goku said as he placed a hand on Gohans shoulder and gave it a light squeeze for reassurance.

Gohan quickly realized that his father was right, he would have been completely petrified had he been forced to face this situation alone. Any time a thought came to his mind of not being able to save Videl, or it being his fault that she's dead someone quickly pointed out numerous reasons as to why there was no way he could of prevented this and id their best to try and assure him that she was most likely the one alive.

Gohan had gone to ask the nurse a few times if there was any new news on Videls condition, but he was always faced with the same response, that being "I'm sorry, but we cannot disclose that information for the time being".

He was completely heartbroken at not receiving any information so others in his family would opt to try and find out information as to keep Gohan in a relatively relaxed state of mind.

The large group had now been in the empty waiting room for almost three hours and all the nurses seemed rather edgy to talk about the Satan case, none of them wanting to reveal which one had lost their lives.

"Which Satan is dead?" Vegeta demanded to the scared young nurse.

"I'm sorry, but that information is not to be disclosed for the time being" the nervous nurse stuttered out.

"Is one of them dead?" he questioned, trying to find ways to receive answer, hoping his intimidation would work.

"Yes, one of the Satan's were shot to death" she said quietly, as she took a few slow steps back from Vegeta, then took off into a dash in the opposite direction.

"The idiot says one of the two was shot to death, but wouldn't say which one" Vegeta said as he returned to his seat Beside Bulma, where she quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed it in an attempt to quietly thank her.

"Did one of them look bloodier then the other Gohan?" Aaliyah asked quietly. She had been rather quiet during the whole event but she was more than scared for her daughter's life, especially knowing firsthand what Hercule was capable of.

"They both looked pretty bloody to be honest with you" he said quietly, trying to fight back the new onslaught of tears that was threatening to spill from his eyes again.

Chi Chi pulled Gohan's head so it was now resting on her small shoulder, "Gohan, if you need to cry, you go ahead and cry" she whispered quietly as she hugged her sons broad shoulders in an attempt to provide some comfort.

"I don't know what I'd do without her mom, I love her so much" he said quietly as his breathing began to get shaky as a few stray tears made their way down his cheeks.

"I know you love her sweetie, she loves you just as much. There is no way a strong fighter like Videl would give in so quickly, even if she did die, we both know she'd be fighting everyone in the other world to come back here and tell you to snap out of it and that she was alright" Chi Chi said with a small smile as she gently rubbed his shoulders in comfort.

Gohan soon felt himself drifting out of consciousness; it wasn't that he was physically tired, but emotionally he was completely drained. He let his eyes close gently as he rested against his mother's shoulder, in an attempt to claim a few minutes of sleep.

"Trunks, what are we going to do if Videl dies?" Goten whispered quietly to his best friend.

"We'll do what your dad said, we'll collect those dragon balls so fast, she'll be back here in no time helping us prank my dad" Trunks said confidently

"I'm scared, what if she's really hurt?" Goten whispered quietly.

"I'm not scared, she could kick anyone's ass" he said in an attempt to calm his best friend down.

"Gohan and my dad can't feel her energy signal" he whispered back, yawning in the process.

"We'll wish her back, she can't be gone. She just can't be, it's like some rule" Trunks whispered as he too felt sleep threatening to over take him.

"I'm going to sleep now Trunks" Goten whispered with his eyes closed as he covered another yawn.

"Me too…" Trunks whispered as he trailed off, sleep now whisking him away as well.

~*~ A little while later~*~

It had now been a little over three hours since the arrival of everyone into the hospital. Every channel that was being shown on the hospitals TV's were all head lining the same topic, that being how shots had been heard at the Satan mansion earlier that after noon. Then there was an announcement that one of the Satan's had been killed but the police would not release the information of which one had died until they were able to interview the survivor who was now in critical condition.

The news buzzed with who they felt could be the one who had died, and how tragic is was that someone had committed such a violent act against such heroic people. Next they talked about who could have committed such an act against the hero of the world, and his city saving daughter. The news broadcasts only served as fuel for the fire that was Gohans panic.

"We believe it will most likely be Videl Satan that is announced as the one who was shot to death. As tragic as it is, she didn't compare to her father's strength; he did after all save the world from the evil monster Cell" one news broadcaster said to a panel of other broadcasters as they debating about the whole incident that had taken place.

"I think it was gangsters who shot the Satan's, who else would have a vendetta against them except for the ones that Videl helped put behind bars?" Another responded.

"Do these people have no decency?" Krillin questioned out loud quietly.

"They're talking as if she's dead…but they don't know for sure" Aaliyah said as she watched Gohan keep quiet.

Gohan had been doing his best to tune everyone out, he continually silently prayed that Videl would be alright but he had a nagging fear in his head; Videl was the strongest female he knew, but even she couldn't stand up against the bullets of who ever had shot them.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

Heavy blue eyes slowly opened as they allowed their eyes to adjust to the lights, ever so slowly skimming around the room to try and figure out where they were.

'what the hell?' they thought to themselves as they tried to get up but failed miserably, only being met by a large amount of pain coursing through their strong, currently heavy body.

"Saiyaman has been waiting in the waiting room for awhile now. Says he wants to see the survivor" One nurse said as she checked the blood pressure of the battered patient.

"Maybe he wants to interview them so he can get the bad guy, lord knows the police won't catch the jerk that killed such a poor innocent person" another replied.

Through lidded eyes, they reached out and pressed a button ever so gently, releasing a sound that caught the attention of the two nurses.

"Oh my god, your awake!" another exclaimed excitedly.

"Thank god, we'll all be safe now our hero is awake!" The other exclaimed excitedly as the other nurse rolled her eyes.

"Get…me….Saiya….man" came the staggered whisper from the patient through the oxygen mask that was currently covering their face.

~*~

Alright, that's it for Chapter 19! Bit of a cliff-hanger, I hope you all enjoy it. Questioned, comments and general feedback are all welcomed and encouraged.

Please, READ AND REVIEW!! Honestly, the more I get, the more motivated I am to type up an send out the next chapter.

Hope to hear from you all soon. Chapter 20 is in the works!


	20. Dead or Alive

Hey guys thanks for all the reviews! Was that suspenseful enough for you? It was my first attempt at a cliff-hanger so I really hope you all enjoyed it, I tried really hard! But now your suspense shall be ended, here is chapter 20 and the end of your suspense.

Enjoy and review!

Chapter 20: Dead or Alive

"Talking"

'Thinking'

~*~

A smile, who would have thought a smile, could bring such happiness. He watched as her pouty lips slowly curved upwards revealing her perfect teeth, her eyes glimmering playfully as she smiled up at him. A smile crept to his lips as he watched her stand in front of him and give that weak in the knees smile she had. A giggle erupted from her lips as she watched his reaction to her smile. She hummed quietly as she gave him a long gaze, a smile still gracing her beautiful features.

"Are you alright?" He asked, desperately wanting to know whether or not she was alive or not.

"Shhh" she said as she brought a slim finger to her lips and stepped towards him.

"Please, are you alive?" He questioned again, his smile leaving his lips as her smile fell from her face.

She reached up and pressed her finger to his lips to keep him quiet. He in returned moved her finger from his lips and pulled it away, "please, tell me are you alright?" he questioned nervously.

"The time for forgiveness is now" she said quietly, a small smile playing on her lips a she disappeared from sight. "Forgive yourself…now is the time" her whisper echoed as she disappeared from view, Gohan still reaching out to her desperately trying to reach her retreating figure.

Gohan covered a yawn as he woke up from his less than peaceful nap. He looked at his surroundings through his sunglasses and made a noise of confusion. 'What the heck was that all about?' he thought to himself as he slowly allowed his eyes to adjust to the light and absorbed his surroundings.

"It was all real, it wasn't just a bad dream" he whispered as he looked over at his family members and noticed that they too had fallen asleep.

Goten and Trunks were curled up together on the large couch, beside them Vegeta had head against the wall while Bulma was curled up to his side with his arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders. Krillin was lying on another couch with his head in 18's lap as the two of them slept peacefully; they had left Maron with Bulma's mother, not wanting her to be in the hospital. Beside Gohan, his father and mother slept, his father's arms wrapped around his mother's waist as she was curled up on his lap.

He lifted his sunglasses slightly and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked up at the news and noticed that all channels were still talking about the news with shots at the Satan mansion and that they had no new news to report and that the Satan that had been shot to death was still a mystery. He glanced lazily over at the clock and his eyes widened in surprise, he had been sleeping for almost three additional hours.

"After you fell asleep, we hadn't heard any new news, we kept asking but they kept saying that they weren't at liberty to tell us" Goku whispered from beside Gohan.

"Oh alright…how long have you been out for dad?" Gohan whispered back.

"I'd say people started falling asleep about an hour after you did, I've only been asleep for about an hour I think. How are you holding up?" Goku asked, worry starting to take over.

"I'm as good as I can get in this situation I guess" he muttered as everything flooded back into his mind.

"Be positive about this, you know deep down who the one who's died" Goku whispered as he gently rubbed Chi Chi's arm.

"I'm trying to be, but no one is giving me reason to believe otherwise" he said as he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "I still can't get a reading on her energy signal" he said, sadness evident in his voice.

"I just want a sign that she's ok, if I could even just get a flicker of her energy signal, I'd be happier than anything…but I'm getting absolutely nothing. It's like she's disappeared from the face of the earth" he whispered, his eyes felt like they were starting to slowly tear up.

"You know, they say that once in a life time you'll find someone heaven sent for you and for a life time you'll see that there's a reason to believe in a love that's meant to be. I believe you have found that reason, so now all you have to do is believe" Goku offered trying to cheer his son up, but only succeeded in upsetting him more.

"I don't know what I'd do without her dad" he said quietly, "I love her so much" he said in a shaky voice.

"Take deep breaths, it'll help you relax" Goku said as he watched his son take his advice and starting inhaling deeply. "Maybe go and get some fresh air" he suggested, trying to find a way to help relax his son without using some form of medication.

~*~Meanwhile~*~

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" asked the young African American nurse as she walked closer to the battered patient.

"P-please….get…saiya…man" the patient said weakly through the oxygen mask.

"You want Saiyaman?" the nurse asked in a confused tone.

The patient simply nodded slowly and groaned in pain as they struggled to open their heavy and swollen eyes.

The nurse nodded the looked towards the other nurse and gave a confused look. "Why do you think they want Saiyaman?" the nurse asked in a confused tone of voice.

"Beats me" the other nurse said with a shrug as the nurse went to make her journey to the waiting room so she could retrieve Saiyaman, as per the patient's wishes.

The nurse walked silently down the long white hallways as she navigated herself to the waiting room. When she reached it, she noticed a large group was sleeping among the chairs and couches. She studied the group looking for the famous caped hero, but couldn't find him.

She cleared her throat in an attempt to gain the attention of the sleeping party, but failed in that attempt. She tried it once again louder, but again she received no attention from the slumbering group.

Getting a little annoyed she reached forward and nudged the first man she saw, big mistake. Vegeta's eyes snapped open, "what the hell do you want?" he snapped loudly, starling the nurse and waking a few people up.

The woman stared at him in disbelief as he snarled at her. "You best answer now, or I'll make sure you never say another word again" he growled, now waking up his wife.

"I-I'm just l-looking for Saiyaman" she stuttered, fear evident in her voice.

"Vegeta calm down" Bulma said drowsily, "why do you need Saiyaman?" she questioned, drawing the attention of Chi Chi and Goku.

"The patient asked for him so I came to get him" she said, calming down as she watched Bulma calm her husband down.

"I think he just stepped outside for some air, I'll go get him. But can you tell us which Satan is alive?" Goku asked hopefully, wanting desperately to deliver good news to his son.

The nurse shook her head, "I'm sorry sir, but with such a high profile case, we have to keep pretty tight lipped about all of this" she said, attempting to ignore the glare she was receiving from Vegeta.

"Alright, I'll go and get him" Goku said as he stood up and stretched out, and then slowly made his way outside.

Goku wondered around the front of the hospital looking for his son, but was surprised to find he was nowhere to be seen. Reporters littered the front of the hospital grounds as they tried to stay up to date on the Satan shooting case, each reporter desperately trying to be the one who first delivers the breaking news of which Satan is dead.

Goku scratched his head in confusion and walked around to the back of the hospital, wondering if his son went to the back in an attempt to escape all of the reporters but once again he searched the ground and couldn't find his son anywhere on the vast hospital property. 'That's strange' he thought to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck in confusion.

Goku closed his eyes and focused on his son's energy signal for a moment then opened his eyes in surprise. "He's going to take a chunk out of the earth if he keeps powering up like that" he muttered as he put two fingers to his forehead and gained a look of concentration. Seconds later Goku disappeared and quickly reappeared behind his son.

He was surprised at the state his son was in; he was screaming as he powered up, now in his ascended super saiyan form, and was continuing to power up. The beautiful scenery that had once covered this part of land was now nothing but upturned ground and charred remains of trees.

Realizing that Gohan had no intention of stopping himself from powering up he felt now was the time to step in. "Gohan, stop this now" he said firmly drawing the attention of his surprised son. Gohans cape had been pushed off his tunic by the force of his energy, his sunglasses nowhere to be seen and his turban lay buried under upturned rock.

"You can't keep powering up, you'll destroy this part of the earth" Goku said firmly once again, hoping to be the voice of reason for his son.

"Why did this have to happen?" he seethed, "I knew I shouldn't have let her go by herself and I did. This is all my fault!" he stated angrily as his power continued to rise.

"This isn't your fault; no one could have seen this coming. Videl is a big girl, she felt she was alright to go by herself" Goku reasoned, but his response only seemed to anger Gohan more.

"Are you saying this is her fault?" he said, venom dripping from his voice.

"You and I both know that's not what I'm saying at all. Gohan you need to calm down; destroying part of the earth isn't going to help matters any, in fact it will only make this worse" he stated, calming Gohan down slowly.

Gohan powered down a little after realizing the effect he was having with an increasingly large crater beneath him. "How, can things get worse?" He questioned solemnly.

"Say Videl is dead, what if a dragon ball is in this section of the earth? It'll get destroyed and we'd never be able to wish her back" he offered as he watched Gohan power down slowly to his normal form.

"You need to calm down, things will work out" he reasoned.

"I feel like I knew this was going to happen, but I did nothing to stop it" he said quietly, his eyes looking at the ground.

"You had a gut feeling and you were right, but there is absolutely no way you could have changed the course of fate, none of us have that power or that ability" Goku said, surprsing Gohan with how deep it was.

"Why are you here?" Gohan asked quietly, as he stared numbly at the ground.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Goku exclaimed as he smacked his head, "a nurse came out and said the patient wanted to see Saiyaman" he said, watching Gohans eyes light up.

"Did they say who it was?" Goku asked hopefully, only to receive a solemn shake of the head from his father.

"They didn't say, they just said they wanted to see you. But…the quicker we get there, the sooner you'll have you answer" he offered with a small smile as a look of nervousness came over Gohans face.

He nodded, not saying a word as he put his hand on his father's shoulder and quickly the two disappeared from the now barren land.

~*~ Meanwhile~*~

"Sir, that much hair gel in your hair isn't good for it. It weakens the hair; because you have to wash it so often so you lose valuable essential nutrients for your hair" The nurse said as she pointed to Vegeta's head.

Vegeta growled in response, "I do not need hair advice from you, you little wench" he stated angrily, "and for your information my hair is NATURALLY like this" he yelled at the poor nurse.

"Have you ever considered anger management?" The nurse offered, only to receive a giggle from Bulma and an angry growl from Vegeta.

Before Vegeta could respond a younger nurse excitedly ran up to the group, "oh my god! Are you that rapper, Mc something?" the nurse asked excitedly to Vegeta.

The first nurse cocked her head to the side in thought, "he almost looks like the guy on the oatmeal box" she muttered as she studied Vegeta's now blushing face.

"You're both wrong, he's the guy from the lucky charms commercials" Bulma offered earning a glare from his husband.

"If you weren't knocked up I swear to god I'd kick your ass" he stated angrily drawing a horrified look from the two nurses.

Bulma rolled her eyes, "for starters, you are the reason I'm pregnant. Also, if I were dead, you'd have no food or source of income and you'd have no one to fix your gravity machine. So shut up and be a good boy or I swear to god I will borrow Chi Chi's frying pan and hit you so hard you'll be seeing nothing but lucky charms" she stated, effectively shutting Vegeta up. She watched in satisfaction as he grumbled incoherently in his chair and ignored all the attention he was receiving.

The nurse cleared her throat gain as she move the younger nurse away, "So where is Saiyaman? I can't wait all day" the nurse stated impatiently.

"He should be here soon" Chi Chi offered as she looked around nervously.

"Well if he's not here within the next five minu-ah!" she screamed in surprise as the man she had spoke to before and a man that was in half of Saiyaman's costume appeared in front of her from nowhere.

"How'd….where'd you come from?" she questioned in surprise as Goku gave her a confused look.

"I used instant transmission?" Goku offered as if it were common knowledge.

"How…how's that possible?" she questioned dumbly.

Bulma chose that time to intervene, "it's a new project I've been work on, I'm so close to perfecting it, but it's obviously working well enough now" she stated as the nurse nodded, accepting her explanation.

"Mr. Saiyaman?" she questioned as she inspected Gohans now revealed face. "You're…you're just a boy…" she said quietly as she studied Gohans face, noting the tear stains on his cheeks.

"Please, which Satan wants to see me? Is it Videl?" he asked hopefully only to have the nurse shake her head.

"I can't publically disclose that information" she said as she watched the hope drain from his eyes, "but if you follow me you can see the patient" she said as Gohan nodded numbly and looked back at his family.

Chi Chi offered him a meek smile, "please, let us know if she's alive" she said as she moved to give Gohan a hug.

"I'll let you know when I do" he said quietly, he was more than nervous to finally find out the answer.

"Be strong Gohan, we'll be here if you need us" Goku said quietly as he gave his son a small hug earning a nod from Gohan in return.

Gohan gave a small wave to his friends and family members then quietly followed the nurse down the white hallway.

Chi Chi let out a sigh, "I don't know what he'd do if he lost her" she said quietly as she watched her sons retreating form.

"He'd be devastated, that's for sure" Krillin said, waking up after hearing the nurse scream.

"We'd make sure it would all work out; he's had a tough life and she's the breath of fresh air that he needs. He deserves to be happy with her" Bulma said, smiling as she noticed Vegeta's hand lingering on her swollen belly.

"Dad?" Goten questioned quietly as he pulled gently on Goku's pant leg.

"What's up buddy?" Goku asked as he knelt down to Goten's height.

"Is Videl alright?" he asked quietly.

"I'm not sure, but we'll know soon. As soon as Gohan knows he's going to come and tell us as soon as he find out" he said quietly, trying to assure his youngest son that everything would work out.

"Gohan is the strongest person I know…I can't remember the last time I saw him cry; I don't like it" he said quietly, tears of his own slowly starting to well up in his eyes.

"I don't like seeing him cry either, same with I don't like seeing you cry. Don't worry, I promise we'll make things work out for Gohan" he said as he gave his youngest son a hug.

"Promise?" Goten questioned lightly, trying to be strong and not cry.

"I promise buddy" Goku whispered back, still holding his son in an embrace.

~*~Meanwhile~*~

Gohan kept his stride so he was slightly behind the nurse. An awkward silence was presence as they walked down the hallways slowly.

The nurse stopped in mid-walk and turned around to study Gohan's features. "You're so young…why do you put your life on the line for others?" she questioned.

Gohan paled as he realized that he was completely revealed and hid nothing to hide his identity, "please don't tell anyone" he pleaded as he looked down the hallways.

The nurse shook her head, "you're Videl's boyfriend aren't you?" she asked quietly, trying to refrain from gaining any attention.

"I am" he said quietly, at the mention of Videl's name he felt his heart sink in worry a little.

"That definitely makes sense; I know you two fight crime together but I couldn't understand why you were that worried about her, this definitely makes more sense" she said as she gave him a small smile. "Don't worry, I think it's fantastic what you've been doing for the city and I'd personally like to offer you my debt of gratitude" she said as she stretched her arm out to shake his hand.

"Thank you" he said quietly as he shook her hand in return.

"Alright, we're almost in the room. I must warn you, the patient has been in and out of consciousness and they are pretty beaten. They're incredibly weak, but we've managed to get a stable heart rate and blood pressure. I must say, they are definitely a fighter" she said as she motioned for Gohan to start following her again.

As the nurse continued to lead Gohan down the hallway he could feel his worry rising. The nurse had given him absolutely no hint of who would have been alive; common sense told him that once he had revealed he and Videl were dating that'd she'd say something along the lines of 'well set your mind at ease, she's a fighter and she's alive' but she had said nothing that would indicate that.

"Here we are" she said with a blank look, as she opened the door and motioned for Gohan to hold on as she walked into the room and shut the door.

Gohan held his breath, a door stood in his way of finding out if the love of his life was alive, or if she had been killed.

A minute later the nurse popped her head back out the door, "sorry, I just wanted to make sure one of the other nurses were here in case they recognized you from somewhere. All is clear though" she said as she motioned for him to come in.

Gohan slowly walked into the private hospital room; it was dimly lit and a curtain was surrounding the bed that contained the patient. He could hear the soft beeping of a heart rate monitor as the nurse gave him a nod of encouragement for him to go and see who was asking for him.

He slowly walked forward, feeling as though his body weighed a couple tons as he walked towards the curtained area.

He stood at the end of the bed and pulled gently on the curtain; he couldn't bring himself to pull it quickly for fear of finding out that Hercule was laying in the bed waiting to talk to him. As the curtain moved it revealed the many bags of medications that were going into the patient's body via intravenous.

Gohan closed his eyes as he stepped forward, he inhaled deeply, and now realizing this was the moment of truth. He opened his eyes and was greeted by the face of the beaten and now cleaned up patient. His mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.

"You…you're the one that lived?…" he whispered in a state of shock as he quickly ran out of the room.

The nurse gave a funny look at the retreating figure of the city's hero then realization dawned on her; he was probably going to tell his family the news. She gave a small smile, "I guess it's alright it they know" she said quietly as she grabbed her clipboard and started writing down the patients stats.

~*~

Gohan ran quickly towards the location of his friends and family.

He came to a screeching halt, causing all of his family to stare at him in confusion.

"Gohan?" Chi Chi asked as she stepped forward towards her son. Gohan stood before them, tears streaming from his eyes as he stood in front of his family with a blank expression.

"She's alive" he said quietly, feeling the corners of his lips rise into a smile, "she's alive!" he exclaimed louder as he smiled despite the tears. With that he turned around quickly and ran back towards the room the nurse had brought him to.

"Oh Goku I'm so happy for him!" Chi Chi yelled as she jumped into her husband's arms.

"My baby, she's alive" Aaliyah cried as she sobbed into Yamcha's chest.

"Daddy, you were right!" Goten exclaimed as he jumped onto his dad, hugging him in pure joy.

~*~

Gohan quickly ran back into the room, surprising the nurse as she heard the door slam open then close quickly.

Gohan went to the side of the bed and gently picked up Videl hand that didn't have the needle in it, tears of joy still streaming down his face. He gently kissed her hand as he studied her features, "You're alive" he whispered as he gently squeezed her hand.

Videl's eyes remained closed, but Gohan then felt her return his squeeze with a weak one of her own. Gohan leaned his face down, trying to regain his composure, "I love you so much" he whispered as he listened to the comforting noise of hearing her breathing, watching her chest slowly rise and fall.

"I…I love you too" she said weakly through the oxygen mask.

"I was so worried" he said, smiling through the tears, not letting go of her hand; he felt as though if he let go she'd disappear.

Gohan waited for a reply then listened, he noticed her breath was a little slower than it was a few minutes ago and began to get worried, "Is she alright?" he asked as he turned around to the nurse who was smiling at the sweet exchange between the two.

"We've got her on morphine for the pain; she took quite a beating so she's in and out of consciousness. We figure that by tomorrow she'll be a little more coherent and will be able to speak. The police are going to come tomorrow and try and interview her; figure out who attacked her and killed her father" the nurse replied, smiling at how affectionate he was being towards the injured girl.

"Look, we're not supposed to do this…but did you want to invite your group in here? Bulma is a big supporter of our hospital, and I've checked on your family for the past while, and they all seemed really worried" She said as Gohan gave her a small smile, gently wiping tears away from his eyes.

"I'd really appreciate that" he said quietly, not taking his eyes off Vide. The nurse nodded from her spot from against the counter and left to go and retrieve his family.

A few minutes later Gohan heard the group slowly filing into the room; he turned his head and gave them a smile. He stood up and motioned for Aaliyah to step forward so she could have a mother daughter moment.

"My poor baby, I'm so happy you're alive" she whispered as she kissed her forehead, a few stray tears falling on her daughter's skin.

Gohan now took the time to study Videl's features; her hair lay limp on the pillow, her left eye was a dark shade of purple and was swollen. There were small cuts all around her face; her skin was pale making the bruises more evident; her arms lay limp by her side, bruises and cuts all across them. Gohan studied her lips, wishing so desperately that they'd curl up into a smile through the oxygen mask, however they remain still, her upper lip being slightly swollen with a small cut on it.

"She looks a little worse for wear" Bulma said as she gave Gohan a hug, "but I'm happy she's the survivor" she said as Gohan returned the hug.

"I told you she's a fighter; she wouldn't leave you without fighting tooth and nail" Goku said as he watched Aaliyah hold her daughters hand silently, simply enjoying the fact that she's alive.

"I knew she would fight" he whispered, his eyes never leaving his girlfriend limp body.

"I know you guys are happy and all…but you all look like you could use a good meal. I've spoken with the hospital staff and they're more than willing to supply you all with any food you'd want and you can all sleep in this room. I'll bring in a few more chairs and lots of blankets as well" she offered as she watched tears of joy fall from a few people's eyes.

At that moment Gohan's stomach made its presence knows, "I wouldn't mind some food" he mumbled as the nurse laughed a little.

"Follow me" she said with a smile, "I promise, she'll be waiting her for you guys when you were done" she said as they reluctantly left the room and followed her to the kitchen.

~*~ Half an Hour later~*~

"I don't know why everyone says hospital food is awful; I thought that was pretty good!" Goku exclaimed, finally feeling his stomach being satisfied by the amount he ate.

"I've tasted better" Vegeta mumbled as Bulma lightly slapped him on the arm.

"Considering the fact that we just cleaned them out of prepared food, and that we didn't have to pay a dime for everything I'd say it tasted pretty damn good" she said, smirking at her husband as he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to set her off into another mood swing.

"How are you holding up Gohan?" Aaliyah asked as she gently put an arm on Gohans as he walked silently up towards Videl's hospital room.

"I'm so relieved that I know she's alive" he said with a smile as he continued to stare at the floor.

"You look pretty drained" she empathetically, looking around all of the group she noticed everyone looked drained, just Gohan seemed to be feeling more of the effects.

Gohan covered a yawn as she said that, "I do feel pretty drained, I think I'm going to fall asleep as soon as I sit in the chair" he said with a small laugh as they continued walking up the stairs. "What about you, how are you holding up?" he asked as he looked down at her.

She offered a weak smile, "I'm feeling the same as you. Now that I know she's the one that's alive, I feel like I can finally relax. Videl is a fighter and I knew if anyone would survive it would be her…but being so kept in the dark made me so petrified that it wouldn't be her that survived" she said, rubbing her eyes, feeling he effect of emotional exhaustion.

"I know the feeling" Gohan mumbled as they reached Videl's hospital room and knocked gently on the door.

A few seconds later the familiar nurse stuck her head out and offered them all a warm smile as she motioned for them to come in. "Alright, I brought in five more chairs; it's not much but it was the best I could do without drawing too much attention. I've also grabbed about twenty blankets here and there's a bunch of pillows; I figured those of you who didn't have a chair to sit on, could at least put the blanket on the floor with a pillow and lay on the blanket. It's not the Hilton, but that's the best I can do" She said as she smiled gently at the clearly tired group of people in front of her.

"Thank you hun for you kindness" Chi Chi said as she covered a yawn and leaned her head against Goku's arm.

"You're welcome. I'm the head nurse for Videl, so there shouldn't be any other nurses in here anymore. I will be taking a small nap, but if anything happens just press that red button on Videl's bed and it will go through to my communicator and I'll be here as soon as I can. Now I hope you all get a good night's sleep for the most part, and I'll see you all in the morning" The nurse said with a smile as she put the clip board down and quietly walked out of the room, giving a small wave to the occupants as she left the room.

Gohan pulled a chair up to the side of Videl's bed so he could hold her hand, and as he did that everyone else started to get themselves settled in and ready to sleep. 18 and Krillin opted to sleep on the floor on top of two blankets, a third blanket on top of them as each laid their head on a pillow. Goten and Trunks also slept on the floor and Chi Chi and Goku, Aaliyah and Yamcha, as well as Bulma and Vegeta all sat on chairs, making themselves as comfortable as they could.

Before any of them had expected it, they quickly all fell asleep, completely unaware of just how draining the whole situation they had recently experienced had been.

Gohan took a quick look behind him as he noticed that everyone had fallen asleep almost as quickly as their heads had hit the pillow. He gave a small smile as his eyes turned back and fixed themselves on Videls features. He watched her breath in a rhythmic manor, watching her lips move lightly; now having had the oxygen mask taken off of her, she now had the two tubes that delivered oxygen gently through her nose just to be safe.

"Don't ever scare me like that again" he whispered as he brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. He gently leaned down and gave her lips a gentle kiss, smiling when he felt their warmth against his. Quickly after that, he drifted off in to a relatively blissful sleep.

~*~ The next morning~*~

Blue eyes slowly peaked through heavy lashes only to squint back shut due to the light she was bombarded with. 'Am I dead?' Videl thought to herself as she slowly allowed her eyes to adjust to the lighting.

She took a few minutes to compose her sense then gently opened her eyes; she heard a gently beeping as well as with a light humming in the background. 'Where am I?' she thought to herself as she attempted to read the clock on the way.

"Oh good, you're awake" she heard a female whisper from beside her bed. She slowly looked up and saw a woman she didn't recognize. "I'm your registered nurse. You were attacked yesterday and quite frankly you're lucky to be alive" she said with a small smile.

"I-I'm in a hospital?" she asked gently, her throat feeling very dry from the lack of fluids she had swallowed.

"You are, and you're doing surprisingly well. I wanted to warn you; the police will be coming today to talk with you about the attack" she said quietly, not wanting to disturb the sleeping inhabitants of the room.

"You are a very loved girl Videl" she whispered with a smile as she walked out of the room, wanting to give Videl and her visitors some privacy.

Videl winced when she noticed how hard it was to open her left eye and went to bring her hand up to touch it gently with she felt that something was holding her hand captive. She slowly looked down and smiled; Gohan had his head on her bed while he slept and was holding her hand. She didn't try and pull her hand away; she did however turn lightly so she could face him more.

She winced lightly as she felt pain shoot through her body, as she adjusted to the new position she brought her free hand up slowly and began to gently run it through Gohan's hair. As she absentmindly stroked Gohans hair, she noticed he wasn't the only one in the room. She was surprised to see that almost the whole gang was in the room, all fast asleep in odd positions, and even notice Krillin and 18 on the floor, as well as Trunks and Goten.

She heard Gohan groan a little as she ran her fingers gently through his hand, "leave me alone…I have to check on Videl" he mumbled in his state of semi-unconsciousness.

"Why do you have to do that?" she whispered gently, she licked her dry lips in an attempt to moisten them so she could allow a small smile to come to her face.

"It's my fault…she got hurt. I didn't protect her when I should have" he said quietly as Videl frowned.

"I know she doesn't blame you" she said quietly, hoping he'd believe her.

"I'll never forgive myself" he mumbled as he turned his head to face her.

"Gohan, the time for forgiveness is now" she whispered quietly as that seemed to snap him out of whatever state he was in.

"That was said in my…" Gohan felt himself slowly welcoming back consciousness. "How did you…Videl! You're awake!" he exclaimed as he jumped up from his chair and held her hands in his giant ones.

"Morning sunshine" she said quietly as she offered him a weak smile.

Gohan felt tears come to his eyes when he saw her smiling gently, "I…I thought…I lost you" he said quietly as tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.

"You can't get rid of me that easily" she said as she attempted to laugh but felt a small cough come out. She went to move so she could sit up straight but felt a shooting pain in her side that caused her to yell quietly in pain and flop back down on the bed.

"Don't move" he said as he bent down and gently picked her body up in an embrace, worried that she's disappear if he let her go.

"I love you so much" he whispered as he gently cried onto his shoulder as Videl had done to him so many times before.

"I love you too sweetie" she said as she gently returned the hug; rubbing his back lightly as she felt to occasional shudder from him crying.

"I was so scared that I lost you" he said as he leaned forward and kissed her. He leaned up and gently kissed the just under her eyebrow where the swelling on her eye began and then kissed just above her cheek bone and once again gave her another kiss before pulling back.

"They wouldn't tell me anything about you, I thought you were dead" he whispered as all the fear that was in him was still lingering.

"As I said, you're not getting rid of me that easily" she replied with a weak smile as she gripped his hand as he held it to his cheek, tears slowly rubbing falling their fingers.

They spent a few minutes in silence, Gohan thanking Dende over and over again for letting Videl be the one who wasn't killed, when their silence was broken.

"Good lord he's crying again" a gruff voice said, effectively ending their sweet moment together.

"Vegeta, shut up and let them have their moment" Bulma hissed as a slapping noise was heard as she hit his chest.

"She's awake?" Goku questioned, almost knocking Chi Chi off the chair in excitement.

"Goku, I swear to god if I get knocked to that floor you're going to be without food for a week" Chi Chi retorted as Goku paled at the though.

Videl gave a horse laugh, "hey guys" she said quietly as she offered them all a smile.

"Sweetheart you sound horse, would you like a drink?" Chi Chi asked as she went up anyways and filled a paper cup with water and handed it to the teen who happily accepted it.

"Don't you ever do that again, you had us worried sick" Goku playfully scolded as he moved to give the teenager a hug, relieved that she was doing better the she had been the past day and a half.

"I'm sorry guys" she said, her voice was still weak sounding, but it wasn't as horse as it had been moments earlier.

Videl was caught by surprise as she felt someone grasp her gently, "I was so worried about you baby" Aaliyah whispered as she hugged her gently, crying lightly into Videl's hospital gown.

"I'm sorry mom" Videl whispered as she returned the hug.

"You are never allowed to go anywhere by yourself again, I don't want some stranger attacking you again" she cried gently into Videls shoulder, afraid to let her go.

"Did they say what was wrong with me?" Videl asked curiously as she gently rubbed her mother's back as she continued to return the hug, simply allowing her to cry into her.

"Hmm…" Bulma walked over and picked up the chart that was clipped to the end of Videl's bed, "it says here that you've got a lot of cuts and bruises, a concussion, a swollen eye and a bloody lip. They figure you sprained your left wrist as well as your right ankle. It also says you've got three cracked ribs and they think you may have done something to your knee but they're not sure. It says right now there's a lot of swelling but it seems to be going down with medication so they feel it might be bursitis caused by blunt force trauma" she said as she flipped through the pages and checked all of her blood work.

"What happened to you sweetie?" Chi Chi said as she stepped forward to stand beside Gohan who had never left Videl's side.

Videl felt fear and sadness fill her as she cast her eyes downwards and averted her gaze from everyone else's, "I don't want to talk about it" she said quietly, avoiding all looks.

"That nurse said people were coming to talk to you about what happened" Goten said as he climbed on the bed, being mindful of Videls legs.

"I don't want to talk to them about it" She said quietly as she played with the sheet that was covering her body.

"I don't think they'll take that as an answer, do you know that your father was shot to death?" 18 piped in from her spot against the wall.

"I thought he may have died" she whispered, her eyes becoming wetter as she spoke.

"Videl, if you don't feel comfortable talking about it, don't worry, you don't have to" Gohan said as he took both of her small hands in his. "When you feel up to it or ready to talk about it, you'll always have an ear here to listen" Gohan said as he gave her a small smile and wiped a stray tear she had away with his thumb as he gently cupped her cheek.

"I don't want to talk about it now" she whispered, fear in her voice as a few more tears fell down her cheeks.

"That we'll talk about something else, alright hun?" he asked with a warm smile as she nodded in response.

"I'd really appreciate that" she said quietly as she looked him in the eyes, giving him a small smile.

There was an awkward silence that lingered in the room for a few minutes; everyone was dying to know what happened, who killed Hercule and who beat Videl so badly. However everyone was trying to respect Videls wishes by trying to discuss something else.

"So Videl, what did you want for your birthday?" Goten piped in, feeling uncomfortable in the silence that was in the room.

"Awh squirt, you don't have to get me a thing" she said with a smile.

Videl turned her attention when she heard Vegeta snort in response "don't believe her kid, all women say they don't want anything, then when you don't get them something they get upset" he said, knowing he was receiving a dirty look from Bulma.

"It was our anniversary you jerk off…I wanted you to think of something on your own" Bulma added, giving Vegeta a glare.

"Then you should have said that" he muttered as he returned her glare.

"Was that why she refused to cook food for you and you slept on the couch for a month dad?" Trunks questioned curiously.

"No, he did that after he attempted to by me lingerie and bought me a size triple extra large" She muttered as her eyes narrowed at Vegeta some more.

Videl attempted to cover her snicker as she watched the family exchange that was occurring before her. "It looked smaller on the hanger" he muttered only to have Bulma letting her anger get the best of her.

"That's it, I don't need you, get out, get out now!" she screamed, covering a few people to cover their ears in surprised as Bulma seethed and screamed at Vegeta.

"You want me to go?" Vegeta asked, arching an eyebrow at her in curiosity.

"I want you out of my life, out of my house. GET OUT!" she screamed even louder as an amused look came onto Vegetas face.

"Alright, I'm gone" he said as he gave her a mock salute and turned to slowly walk out of the room.

Just as Vegeta was walking out of the door Bulma screamed once again, "wait!" she exclaimed as she ran back towards him.

"I can't raise a baby my by self, I'm so sorry sweetie, I love you so much, please don't leave me" she cried as she flung her arms around Vegeta's waist.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and rubbed his hand on his wife's back as she started blubbering like a baby about how sorry she was.

"Mood swings hit her like a ton of brick huh?" Videl questioned quietly as everyone quickly nodded in response.

"I commented on how she eats like a saiyan now and she held me off the ground by the neck of my shirt and threatened to strangle me" Krillin said as he had a flashback of firsthand experience of how Bulma's mood swings were taking effect.

"Bulma, your mood swings are pretty bad, you know that" Goku said as Bulma quickly turned and gave him a dirty look.

"I can't help it. It's all these saiyan hormones that are in me, it's all your fault" Bulma said as she let go of Vegeta and made her way over to Goku.

"I'm not the one who got you pregnant" Goku said as he gave her a confused look.

Bulma stepped closer to him, "you really want to mess with me Son?" she questioned, her protruding belly was poking him, causing him to jump back and wave his hands frantically in front of him.

"Now that I think about it, you're right, it is all my fault" he said, still moving his hands frantically. "Just keep that belly away from me" he said as he stepped away from Bulma, only to have her step forward and poked him again with her baby bump causing Goku to once again jump back.

"Dad, are you afraid of pregnant women?" Gohan questioned with amusement as he watched his father desperately dodge Bulma's tummy.

"After your mother was pregnant with you…yes, yes I'm afraid of pregnant women. It's just so crazy; there's a person inside of her stomach!" he exclaimed as he dodged her tummy once again.

"So why are you afraid of her stomach?" Gohan questioned, still amused with the whole situation.

"Yeah Goku, what do you have against my lovely lady lumps?" She questioned.

"I don't think that's what intending with the song Bulma" Krillin piped in.

Bulma sent a glare towards Krillin, "don't mess with me chrome dome" she said as she turned her attention back towards Goku.

"But…I have hair" Krillin muttered as 18 slapped his arm and told him to shut up.

"I'm just afraid of hurting it" Goku said as he pointed to her belly.

"Hmm…You know some to think of it, when I was pregnant with Gohan he would never put any sort of pressure on my stomach, hell it took me a few months to convince him that it was ok it put his hand on my stomach, or even listen to my belly" Chi Chi said thoughtfully as she reflected back on their younger days.

"I just don't want to hurt you….so get that thing away from me" Goku said as he slipped past her and went and hid behind Chi Chi who simply laughed at her response.

There was a quiet knock at the door causing everyone to look up in surprise. "Oh crap" Gohan muttered as he quickly stuck his head under the covers beside Videl's legs to hide his face as the familiar nurse walked in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you all, but Videl I need to draw some blood and run some tests" she said as she walked in with a kit filled with tubes and an assortment of other things.

The nurse gave Videl a funny look when she saw Gohan's head under the blankets beside Videl's legs. "Is he ok?" she questioned quietly as Videl smiled and nodded her head in response, then knocked on Gohan's head to get his attention.

"It's ok Saiyaman, your identity is safe with me" she said with a laugh as Gohan slowly pulled his head out of the blankets, a blush present on his cheeks.

"Sorry, I panicked" he muttered as Videl shook her head in response.

"Here" the nurse said as she handed Gohan a small plastic bag. "The police are going to be here soon so I thought you could use those" she said as Gohan opened the bag curiously and noticed it was a pair of sunglasses and an imitation Saiyaman turban.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it" he said quickly as he put the rest of his disguise back on.

"Now, how are you feeling?" the nurse asked as she turned to Videl.

"I'm ok…I'm really, really sore though" she said quietly, wincing as she took in a deep inhale.

"You will be sore for awhile; I'll change your morphine bag soon. But now I need to rub some tests; we want to make sure that none of your injuries is causing an infection" she said as she pulled out a large strand of rubber and tied it around Videl's arm as she started tapping her skin to raise a vein.

"What are you doing to her?" Goku asked, fear rising in him as he watched the nurse pull out a needle and attach a vile to it.

"I'm taking her blood?" the nurse said as she gave Goku a strange look.

"Gohan, don't let her to that to Videl…if you love her you'll stop that crazy nurse" Goku said as he stood behind Gohan and shook his shoulder to emphasize his point.

"Dad, she'll be fined, she's a trained professional" Gohan replied as he rolled his eyes and winced as he felt Goku's hand squeeze his shoulder tightly.

"Gohan, you're heartless, I thought you loved her" Goku said. Videl laughed quietly as she nurse drew blood from her, amused by Goku's antics.

"I love your family" Videl said with a smile as she gave Gohan's hand a squeeze. "They're so…quirky" she said with a smile.

Gohan shook his head, "that's one way of putting it" he said as he looked around his friends and family.

"Alright hun, just keep the bandage there for now and I'll be back shortly with your new bag of morphine" he said as she took her kit and left with the viles of blood in her hand.

Once again another silence fell into the room, "Videl I'm sorry…but could you please tell us what happened to you?" Goten asked, earning a glare from Gohan.

Videl became visibly nervous, "I suppose I could" she said quietly, she noticed everyone took a step forward to listen to her tell her story.

"I had just checked out a bunch of books from the library after doing all of my research; I remember talking with the librarian for a little while then I left and text messaged Gohan telling him I would be there soon" she said as she looked around and noticed everyone was hanging on her every word.

"I had thought about flying, but there were a lot of people on the streets so I figured that I would just walk there. However, there was construction going on and would have caused me major delays so I had a choice between either going down the alley or taking the park to Bulmas. I figured the park would have more people around so it would be safer, so I took that route instead of going down the empty alley. I was really surprised to find that the park was pretty empty; I mean usually there families in the park or couples going for a walk, but I was surprised to see almost no one there" she said, inhaling deeply as she stared at her free hand.

"You could have called one of us sweetie, we would have happily driven to pick you up, or we could have even gotten Goku to do instant transmission and get you" Chi Chi asked as Videl continued to avoid her gaze.

"I knew you guys would b busy with the barbeque and I figured I would be home soon. I've always thought of myself as strong; maybe not super saiyan strong, but strong enough to take care of myself" she said, a disapproving look came onto her face.

"Videl, you are one of the strongest people I know and you're more than capable of taking care of yourself" Gohan said as he offered her a reassuring squeeze of her hand.

"Thank you" she said quietly as she cleared her throat. "Anyways, so I was walking in the park, and there was just this really eerie presence there, then I heard a-" she was quickly cut off.

"Videl, wait" he paused as he stared at her for a moment, "hold your hands out" he said as he watched her raise her hands. "You're shaking… we can talk about this later if you don't feel comfortable" he said, worried about her mental condition after being through such a traumatic event.

Videl shook her head lightly, "I'm fine thanks…I'm sure I'll feel better once I've gotten this off my chest" she said quietly. She knew Gohan was staring right through her and picking up every emotion that was going through her body; he simply had a knack for reading her like a book.

"Anyways, I heard a rustling; a snapping of a twig or something, I convinced myself it was a squirrel or something and just went on my way again. But then I heard it again, followed by shuffling. I figured I wanted to be better safe than sorry, so I picked up my pace and started jogging in the park…however the person following me matched my pace. I completely freaked, and started running as fast as I could. I ran and ran, I swear it felt like the forest would never end and then…it was completely silent. I remember slowly down; it was dark, the trees covered the park, so you couldn't really see anything, there was just light from the sun that was coming through the trees." She rubbed her throat; slight bruising was around her throat, evident signs of someone trying to strangle her.

"Um, could I have some water please?" she asked quietly as Yamcha got up and filled up a paper cup with water and handed it to her quietly.

"I felt so winded so when I didn't hear the noises any more so I slowed down to see who or what it was that was following me…you know it's stupid…when you watch those movies and there's the stereotypical chase where the girl either falls or tries to hide in some stupid location? Unless you're in that situation, you never realize just how possible it could be. When I was running I swear I nearly fell a dozen times, and was so tempted to hide behind some big tree or something…flying unfortunately didn't even come to mind" she said, taking another long sip of her cold water.

"I remember thinking how I finally got rid of this freak, but next thing I knew someone had grabbed be from behind. I remember I was struggling with him then I felt something wet being pressed against my mouth…the last thing I remember thinking after that was how I thought I smelled chloroform" she said as she heard her mother and Chi Chi gasp in surprise.

"You were kidnapped?" Aaliyah asked in surprised.

Videl gave a solemn nod, "when I woke up I found that I was bound and gagged by-" she was cut off by a knock on the door.

The nurse popped her head into the room,"hey guys, I'm sorry to interrupt, but the police are here and if they saw everyone in the room…well I'd get fired. So I'm going to have to ask that you all leave for a little while, I promise you can come back and visit her later" the nurse said as she gave a confused look at the eager faces that everyone in the room but Videl had on their face.

"Can this not wait?" Goku asked, desperately wanting to know the rest of Videl's story.

"I'm afraid not sir, I've been stalling the police for a few minutes now but they're pretty eager to interview Videl" she said as she gave them a sad smile.

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet" she said quietly as the nurse gave her a sad look.

"Alright, here's what we'll do" she said as she walked towards the IV bags and pulled and pulled off an empty bag. "You need your next IV bag as you're clearly in a fair amount of pain. If you should happen to fall asleep then the officers will have to wait" she said as Videl gave her a groggy smile.

"It's not all a lie…I do feel pretty drained" she said as she gently rubbed her eyes, once again wincing as she felt a sharp pain on her swollen eye.

"You'll be sore for awhile, you definitely took a beating; to say you're a fighter is putting it simply. You kick ass girl" the nurse said with a smile as she hung a new bag of morphine up and put the tube into the new bag giving Videl a fresh supply of morphine.

"As much as I hate to do this, I do have to ask everyone else to leave; the police will kill me if they see you all here" she said as she received a few reluctant nods.

Gohan stood up and went to walk away but his hand was grabbed by Videl, "please don't leave me" she whispered, her eyes were welling up with unshed tears as a look of fear came across her face.

Gohan sent a pleading look to the nurse who heaved a sigh, "I'm sure if I work my magic the chief will be alright with Saiyaman being with her" she said as Gohan gave her a weak smile.

"Please, please don't leave me" Videl whimpered as tears slowly started trailing down her cheeks as she gripped Gohans hand as tightly as she could.

Gohan gave Videl a worried look as she weakly grabbed his hand and pleaded him not to go anywhere. He gave the nurse a quick look and she nodded to him, "I won't go anywhere Videl, I promise. I'll stay here as long as you'd like me to" he said quietly as he partially sat on the bed and gently held her body close to his as he rubbed her arm in a comforting manor.

The nurse gave a small smile at the sweet exchange, "she will probably fall asleep soon" the nurse said as she motioned for the others in the room to follow her.

"Bye Videl" Goten said sadly as she received a wave from others.

"You call us if anything happens alright?" Chi Chi said as Gohan nodded in response. With that exchange everyone quietly slipped out of the room and went to busy their selves in the hospital.

"Don't cry baby, it'll be alright" he said quietly as she continued to cry into his chest.

"I…he…it was so horrible…I just…" she struggled to get out a sentence as her fears came out in the form of tears. Her words slowly became slurred as the morphine started to kick in.

Gohan kept quiet, unsure of what to do or say. He had no idea what had happened to her, or who or what caused her to be beaten so badly. He had no idea of how traumatic an event she had experienced and she had no idea as to what she had seen when she had been drugged in the park. He was completely speechless and all he could do was attempt to offer her comfort.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Videl slowly becoming more and more groggy as he eyes became heavy from all of the pain medication. As Videl was about to welcome the unconsciousness that the morphine was bringing from her comfortable leaning gently against Gohan there was a loud and abrupt knock at the door.

After the knock an older man followed by two younger men walked into the room. "Videl, what happened?" he questioned loudly in an attempt to snap her out of her drug induced drowsiness.

~*~

Alright, that's chapter 20! I'm so thrilled that you all really enjoyed my chapter 19 and I hope that you enjoyed this just as much. Were you surprised, disappointed, or did you expect the results; I'd love to hear what you think!

So I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I really hope that I hear from you guys; the more reviews I get the more motivation I have. Please read and reviews and I hope you enjoy this!!


	21. What Happend?

Hey everybody, I'm terribly sorry for the delay with this chapter. I've been completely buried in readings on history and I've been trying to complete a hundred things at once, but as a result my story has had to take a step back while I get in the habit of school.

But anyways, I've finally got chapter 21 up and posted now, so I really hope that all of you enjoy it and I beg that I get some reviews. lol I worked hard on this story so I would really love to hear what people think of this chapter.

I tried t be as detailed as possible for this chapter and I do hope you all enjoy it, if you don't, then shoot me a review and let me know why! Anyways, here it is ladies and gentlemen…enjoy!!

~*~

Chapter 21: What Happened?

"Talking"

'Thinking'

An older man along with two other officers barged through the hospital doors and quickly walked up to the head information desk.

The older man quickly flashed his badge to the surprised receptionist, "I demand to speak with the surviving Satan right this minute" he said as the nurse gave him a dumbfounded look.

"I don't know where they are" she said nervously as the chief gave the receptionist a glare.

"Find someone who does" he yelled as he slammed his fist onto the front desk.

The nurse nodded as she picked up a phone and started punching numbers, "Kayla page line 426, Kayla page line 426" she said as it echoed throughout the building.

Moments later the phone in front of the receptionist gave two quick rings, "Kayla?" she questioned as she picked it up. "The cops are here to speak with the surviving Satan, where should I send them?" she asked as she eyed the impatient chief and his two comrades.

"Alright, thanks" she said quietly as she hung up the phone. "She said that if you go up to the fourth floor, she'll meet you in the private waiting room" she said weakly as she chief gave her an annoyed look and nodded his head.

"Thanks" he said gruffly as he motioned for his two comrades to follow him and made his way towards the elevator.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

"Alright guys, if the police ask why you were here you can't and I mean absolutely can't mention that you saw Videl. In fact don't even mention that you know she's alive. I can get fired and thrown in jail for what I did earlier so I ask that you please keep it a secret amongst yourselves" Videls nurse said as she watched the group settled back down into the waiting room chairs.

"We really do appreciate your hospitality" Aaliyah said as she held onto Yamcha's hand tightly and offered a grateful smile.

"I was happy to do it" the nurse said as she returned the smile.

"I know that you're Videls nurse…but could you at least tell us your name? I feel awful not being able to call you by name" Chi Chi said with a frown as the young African American nurse allowed her smile to broaden.

"Kayla. My name is Kayla and I'm pleased to make you acquaintance" she said as she heard a loud beeping noise, letting her know that someone had arrived in the elevator. She heaved a sigh, "and now things get fun" she muttered as she put a smile on her face and greeted the three officers who walked out of the elevator.

"Hello officers, how may I help you today?" she said with her fake smile still plastered on her face.

"Are you Kayla?" The older officer asked, disregarding her question.

"The one and only…and you are?" she questioned as she put her hands on her hips; she could tell right off the bat that this officer was going to try and give her a hassle.

"I'm police chief Connell. I demand you take me to the patient now" the chief said gruffly as he gave Gohan's family and friends a suspicious look.

"I must warn you sir, the patient is on morphine for pain for injuries and it's not likely that they'll be completely coherent" Kayla said as she attempted to stand her ground against the three men.

"What room?" the chief demanded.

"She's in room 4112, but-" she didn't have a chance to say another word as the three men pushed passed her and moved quickly through the hallways.

Kayla quickly regained her composure as she followed them and stood in front of them, "Videl is not in great condition, she needs her rest. Please let me see if she feels up to talking, or if she's even awake" she pleaded only to have it fall on deaf ears as the chief push past her with his men.

"Please, let me check on her stats first" she pleaded as the chief stopped in mid stride and glared at the young woman.

Kayla lowered her dark eyes as she pushed a strand of straight dark hair out of her face, "let me see if she's coherent before you start bombarding her with questions" she pleaded as she gave the three men a glare of her own.

"Hercule is dead. The man who saved the world, out hero is dead and the only person who knows why is lying in the hospital room that you're preventing us from reaching. I will warm you Miss Kayla, if you continue to interfere with our investigation I will have you arrested for impeding an ongoing investigation" the chief threatened as he stepped towards her and puffed out his chest to prove how serious he was.

"I'm just as saddened as you are about the death of Hercule, but Videl is a hero as well and tormenting her when she's not in the correct mental state is only going to make matters worse. You have to let her talk when she's ready or she'll never be comfortable talking about it. Sir you need to understand she's been through a traumatic event and she was mere inches from death when we received her. Please let me see how she is" Kayla pleaded as the three men stared blankly at her.

"No" the chief said as he pushed passed the nurse and quickly approached Videl's hospital room. With a loud bang he roughly pushed the door open and was surprised to see Saiyaman was in the room, he dismissed that thought and quickly realized why he was there. He marched over to Videl and noticed that the morphine appeared to be having an effect on her so he took when he felt was the best course of action.

"Videl, what happened" he snapped loudly in an attempt to startle her out of her drug induced daze.

Videl jumped in surprise as her eyes snapped open and she attempted to sit up quickly. She inhaled sharply and yelled as a sharp pain shot through her body at the sudden movement and quickly forced her back into the spot beside Gohan.

"Sir, that was incredibly uncalled for" Gohan said in his Saiyaman voice as he sent a glare to the police chief.

"Why are you even in this room?" Chief Connell asked sharply as he sent a glare towards Kayla.

A panicked look came over Kayla's face as she attempted to come up with an excuse, but was quickly interrupted by Gohan speaking, "She had nothing to do with it, it's my fault" he stated sternly.

"I wanted him here" Videl slurred as she tried to focus her eyes on the chief.

"He shouldn't be here" The chief stated as he glared at Saiyaman.

"Sir, with all due respect Saiyaman has saved so many lives in this city, yours included. If the man wanted to make sure his fellow crime fighter was alright, and wanted to comfort her while she's alone in her time of need, I do not object" Kayla stated as she glared at the back of the chiefs balding head, already holding a strong dislike for the older man.

"It doesn't matter" he stated as he shook his head and stepped closer towards Videl and studied her condition. "What happened Videl?" he questioned as he roughly shook her shoulders in an attempt to snap her out of her drug induced haze.

Videl yelled in pain as she winced at the force the chief applied to her. Saiyaman quickly stood up and pushed the chief away and sent him the biggest glare he could muster. "Sir, don't you dare touch her again" he seethed as the Chief gave the super hero a surprised look.

"Don't you touch-"he was cut off as Kayla came up and roughly pulled him away from the hospital bed.

"Sir, you will leave this room right now. I will not have you forcefully harassing my patient on my time. You may be the police chief, but I will have you arrested as we have three witnesses here to see how you're handling this situation" she stated as she pulled her hand away from his shoulder.

"I want him to leave" Videl muttered as she tugged gently on Gohans tunic, drawing his attention.

Gohan moved closer to Videl and embraced her gently as she groaned in pain from being roughly shaken.

"I…I'm sorry, that was completely unprofessional" Chief Connell stated as he looked down at his feet in slight shame. "The loss of your father is just so hard to swallow… we want to get the guy who did this as soon as possible and prosecute him to the max" he stated, he quickly sent an apologetic gaze to Videl then kept his eyes down knowing he was on the receiving end of a few glares.

"I don't think Videl is in the condition to talk now, she needs her rest in order for her body to heal properly" Kayla said as she watched the affectionate exchange between Gohan and Videl.

"Videl, may we please talk to you about the events that took place the other night?" the chief asked calmly as he noticed the dazed and slightly uncomfortable look that came across Videls face.

Videl slowly shook her head back in forth in rejection, "I don't want to talk about it" she muttered drowsily, her body desperately wanting to drift to sleep.

The chief heaved a sigh, "we'll come back in an hour or so, but we expect to talk about what happened then. I will leave these crime scene photos here, I beg that you show them to her when she's awake to jostle her memory" he stated, attempting to keep a calm demeanour in such a difficult time as he threw the case file on the counter by the nurse.

"Chief, when should we let the public know?" One of the two accompanying officers asked as silence took over the room.

"Why don't you go and announce it to the public, let them mourn the loss of their hero" Kayla stated solemnly as Gohan sent another glare towards the chief.

The chief nodded numbly as he took his hat off and wiped his brow then placed it back on his head. "Let's go boys, we've got to drop a bomb on the city" he said solemnly as he took a few steps away from the bed. The chief paused as he turned and shot Kayla and Gohan a look, "if either of you show those photos to the public…I will hunt you both down and shoot you" he stated as he turned to the two other men nodded and quietly followed the chief out of the room.

"What a pleasure he is" Kayla muttered as she heard the door shut quietly as the three men exited the room. "Does he not know that you can stop bullets somehow?" she mused as Gohan shook his head gently.

"Beats me" he muttered as he sighed in relief now that the chief was gone.

"I'm sleepy" Videl slurred as she gently rubbed her eyes in an attempt to stay awake.

"I know hun" he said quietly as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I thought you were going to throw him through a wall when I saw him shake her" Kayla said with a smile as she pulled out her pen and grabbed Videl's chart and started writing down her stats.

"I almost did" Gohan muttered as he took his sunglasses off and rubbed his eyes.

"She's a lucky girl you know?" Kayla said with a smile as she watched the two teens.

"She is, she's a fighter that's for sure" Gohan said as he smiled at Videl's sleeping form as he pulled the bandana off his head allowing his gravity defying hair to stand up once again.

Kayla shook her head and smiled as she once again pushed a stray hair behind her ear. "That's not how I mean, she's lucky to have you. I can see why she'd be interested in you; not only are you very attractive, but you're so sweet to her, it's almost unbelievable" she said with a smile as she watched Gohan blush.

"Thank you" he whispered as he tried to hide his blush.

Kayla giggled a little as she watched his reaction to her comment, "no problem. Anyways, I'll let you be alone with her…I'll be in again in about an hour. I'll let your family know what's going on and they can come back in after the chief has gotten to question Videl, then once he's gone he'll be gone for good" she stated as she received a smile.

"Thank you, I really do appreciate everything that you've done for my family and I" he said as he stood up and reached his hand out towards her. "I feel that I can really trust me with my real identity…my name is Gohan" he said quietly in case someone was on the other side of the door.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Gohan, I'm Kayla" she said as she grasped his hand with hers and shook it gently. "I promise you, I won't tell a soul about your identity. Your secret is safe with me" she said with a smile before the two of them withdrew their hands.

"I really would appreciate that…it was kind of an accident that I revealed my identity in the first place" he said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"I figured as much…you sat for an awfully long time in the waiting room in the costume, I didn't expect you just to take it off the heck of it" she said with a laugh.

"I kind of went to blow off some steam when my dad came to get me and I destroyed part of my costume in the process" he said with a small laugh, feeling comfortable in front of the young nurse.

"It's completely understandable. I feel awful that we had to put you through that kind of uncertainty, but I had no other choice" she said as she gave him an apologetic look.

"It's alright, thank you for letting me stay with her now" he said with a smile as Videl once again grabbed Gohans hand gently.

"Gohan….I'm sheepy…" Videl muttered as she desperately struggled to stay awake.

"I'll leave you two be" she said with a smile as Gohan returned the smile.

Gohan sat down beside her once on the bed and held her small hand in his, "go to sleep sweetie" he said quietly as he ran his fingers gently through her hair. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently as he continued to stroke her soft hair.

"I love you" she said quietly as her breathing slowly became shallow and she drifted off to sleep.

"I love you too" he said quietly with a smile on his face as Videl slowly curled up against him. Gohan stared at Videls sleeping form as he continued to stroke her hair, watching her breathing to make sure that she didn't stop.

He felt curiosity getting the better of him and reached over and grabbed the file folder and grabbed the photos and started to look through them. There was a picture of a very blood bathtub as well as a face imprint on a wall in blood. He noticed a lot of them bad bloody areas in each room he finally landed on the final few pictures. There was a picture of Hercule laying with his eyes open slightly, staring blankly into the ceiling above him as his body had atleast four bullet wounds in his body. The next picture was of Videl from when they had thought she was dead, she lay in a small pool of her own blood, her body looked completely broken and mangled, her eyes shut and her skin looked ashen.

'I want to know who did this to her' he thought to himself as he continued to stare at her battered picture, then rested his eyes on her sleeping form. 'My poor girl, I will kill whoever did this to her' he thought angrily to himself as he did everything he could to stop himself from going super saiyan right there.

He took a deep breath, "Videl, I hope you tell me what happened soon" he whispered as he closed his eyes and attempted to take a small nap from his place on Videl's hospital bed.

~*~ Meanwhile~*~

Kayla walked back down the hallway and headed back toward the private waiting room where Gohans family and friend were.

She walked into the room and received a smile from most of the inhabitants as she slumped into a chair beside Goten.

"That chief…is an ass" she said as she rubbed her eyes, "I'm sorry for my language" she said sheepishly realizing that there were two children in the room.

"Don't worry, these two have heard far worse from him" Bulma said with a smile as she pointed her thumb towards Vegeta to emphasize her point.

"Please, you swear far more then I do now that you're pregnant" Vegeta stated as he rolled his eyes at his wife.

"I can't help it, you can" she stated as she playfully slapped his arm.

"How'd it go with the chief?" Aaliyah asked as she lifted her head up from Yamcha's shoulder.

"That man is so pigheaded. I tried to reason with him and pleaded to let me check Videl's state before he went in there, but instead he barged right in, got mad at Gohan for being there, the shook Videl to try and snap her out her drowsiness. She's on morphine, the poor girl can't help it" she said as a few of the looked at her with their mouths open.

"He told you his name?" Chi Chi asked hesitantly.

Kayla nodded, "I promise you I won't tell a soul about his identity, I figured he did it accidently. I think his work in the city is so incredibly and that he does it so selflessly…he deserves the privacy. I was flattered that he introduced himself to me by his first name so I didn't have to keep calling him Saiyaman" she said with a smile as Chi Chi nodded in response.

"Excuse me?" a small vice asked form beside Kayla.

"What can I do for you?" she said with a smile as she was greeted by the smiling face of Goten.

"Thank you for helping Videl…she's like my big sister, I was really scared that she was dead" he said, a sad look coming across his face at the thought of Videl being dead.

"I'm happy to help, Videl is an incredibly woman, I was honoured to be her head nurse and the one in charge of her" she said with a smile as Goten gave her a smile.

"Thank you for letting us see her…I had really wanted to make sure she was ok. Gohan was really sad about not knowing how she was…he's the strongest person I know…I don't like seeing him cry" he stated solemnly as Kayla put an arm around his shoulder.

"I can understand how hard that must have been on him, but he's lucky to have such a sweetheart of a little brother like you. I'm sure he was very grateful to have you there for him in his time of need" she said as she earned a blush from Goten as he nodded sheepishly. "I think he's incredibly lucky to have all of you here for him… I can't imagine what it would be like to attempt to go through something like that by himself." She stated as she received a few nods.

"You're a very kind person" Goku said as he watched Kayla blush in response.

"Thank you" she said shyly as Goku gave her his traditional smile.

"No I'm serious; I don't generally meet someone with that kind of kindness outside our little group. It's a very rare find so it's a wonderful trait that you have" he said as her blush deepened.

"You guys are a breath of fresh air, even when people know the status of their relative, they'll get angry at me if their situation is critical even if it's something beyond my control like cancer or something" she said as she sunk into the chair and attempted to relax.

"You look exhausted hun; maybe you should try and take a nap?" Bulma suggested as she watched Kayla closed her eyes and inhale deeply.

"It's tempting, but I want to make sure I'm awake when his royal pain walks back into the hospital" Kayla muttered as she covered a yawn.

"But…Vegeta's still here" Goku added innocently as Vegeta sent him a glare.

"Sweetie I think she was talking about the police chief" Chi Chi said as she hid a giggle.

"Miss Kayla?" Goten questioned as he gently poked her arm.

"Yes?" she replied as she smiled at how cute and innocent Goten was.

"When do you think we can take Videl home?" He questioned sadly, "I miss home" he said as a crestfallen look came over his face.

"I'm hope that she'll be able to go home within the next few days…maybe tomorrow is she progresses well. But she'll defiantly have to take it easy and can't be up and about for awhile" she said as Aaliyah have a light laugh.

"That will drive her nuts, I swear the only time she's still is when she's sleeping" Aaliyah said with a smile.

"All she does in the house is dance or sing at the house, then she usually gets someone else singing or dancing with her" Chi Chi said as she laughed a little at how she'd often get Goku or Goten singing with her.

"So…she lives with you?" Kayla questioned with an eyebrow arched in amusement.

"She does live with us…under special circumstances" Chi Chi said in an uneasy tone.

"I respect that. I think it's wonderful that you're here for her and that you've taken her in during her time of need" Kayla said with a smile.

"She's like a daughter to us" Goku said with a grin, "she and Gohan are going to be together for awhile".

"You guys are so awesome to talk to" Kayla commented, her eyes danced with amusement.

"Hey I think they're announcing about Hercule" Krillin commented as he noticed the TV flash with 'news flash'.

Kayla stood up and turned up the TV and allowed the broadcast to be heard clearly.

A bubbly blonde appeared on the screen with the hospital in view behind her. "Thanks Tom, we now have word the Police Chief Connell is about to announce recent findings on the Satan shooting case, maybe we'll find out which life was unfortunately lost" she said as everyone behind her went nuts as the chief walked up to a prepared podium in front of the hospital.

"Chief Connell, a comment please" reporters shouted as cameras focused on the police chief.

The chief appeared to take a shaky breath in as he cleared his throat and motioned for the throng of reporters to quiet down. "I would like to get through this uninterrupted. It is my great displeasure to announce that the Satan who was shot…was Hercule himself" he stated solemnly as outbursts of comments and surprised gasps went through the many reporters.

"Please, please calm down. My men and I are going to work round the clock until we get the bastard who killed Mr. Satan. He was a wonderful man, and a hero to all and we won't stop until this case is solved" he aside as many reporters started shouting out question.

"Chief that means Videl is the survivor, what's her condition" a reported yelled out as the Chief nodded his head.

"Videl has sustained a large amount of injuries, but she remains true to her blood lines and fought through her near death experience. We are happy to announce that Videl is in a stable condition. I'm sorry, no more questions" the chief said as he gave a small wave and slowly walked back into the hospital.

"Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen; our world hero was murdered in his home just the other night. Investigations are ongoing and Videl is in stable condition. Stay tuned to Channel 26 news for the most up to date information on the Satan shooting, back to you Tom" the blond said as he turned back to a young man with a brown moustache.

"Thank you Carla, we are all saddened by the news. In other sad news…" the man went on as Kayla turned the volume back down on the TV.

"Our hospital is going to get bombarded with calls" Kayla said as she pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to relieve her headache.

"If he's done with the news broadcast, does that mean he'll be going back up to interview Videl?" Aaliyah asked, worried about her daughters mental stability after such a traumatic event.

"Well, it has been a little over an hour, so I'd imagine he'll be barging up soon" she said as she checked her watch and heaved a sigh. "I better go warn Videl and Gohan" she said as she stood up and offered a smile and wave to the group.

As she was about to leave the room she was stopped by a voice. "Oh Kayla…I know this may seem inappropriate, but could I ask a huge favour?" Chi Chi asked a mysterious glint in her eyes.

"Sure?" she replied hesitantly as she arched an eyebrow.

Chi Chi started to rummage through her purse then pulled out a small black bag and held it in triumph, she gave a big grin to Kayla, "they'll be doing something cute, I can feel it…can you take a picture for me? I'm making a book for them" she said as she walked over to Kayla and handed her the small camera.

Kayla gave a laugh, she was more than humoured by the older woman's request, "sure, I'll see what I can do for you" she said with a smile as she took the camera from Chi Chi and received a nod in thanks. She then gave the group a wave and turned and began to navigate her way down the hallways to Videl's private room.

She quietly stepped into the room and made sure to shut the door without making a peep. She turned around and smile, 'wow his mother as right' she thought to herself as she saw the two sleeping teenagers.

Videl had moved over enough for Gohan to lie on the bed and she had her face buried into Gohans chest. Gohan had one are loosely around Videls waist and the other was wrapped around with his hand resting gently on her head.

She smiled as she watched them; they looked so at peace with each other, so content just to be in each other's arms.

'Wow, his mother was right' she thought with a smile as she pulled out the camera and zoomed in to get a picture of the sleeping camera. She watched as the camera flashed and smiled at the picture that she had taken and gently set the camera down on the counter.

She then picked up Videl's chart and started writing down her stats when she noticed her start to stir. "Have a nice sleep?' she questioned with a smile as she watched Videl's eyes adjust in the room.

"I did actually" she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes and noticed she was curled up with Gohan.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, but I did want to let you know that the chief broke the news of your father to the world so don't be surprised if he comes back up here soon" she said with a sad smile, feeling empathetic for the girl.

"I felt like waking up anyways, and thanks for the warning" Videl replied, offering a torn look.

"You may want to give him a heads up too" she said with an amused look as she noticed was still oblivious to the conversation.

"He revealed himself to you?' Videl questioned groggily in surprise.

"Ha, he didn't do it intentionally, he said he went to blow off steam and destroyed part of his costume and got so caught up in things he didn't notice it was gone. But he said he was grateful for everything I've gone so he told me his name. He's a real keeper you know" she said with a smile as Videl blushed.

"He is…but I should wake him" she said as she started to gently nudge him, and then tried doing it a little more forcefully but to no avail.

"Wow, sleeps like a rock eh?" Kayla asked, amused at how heavy a sleeper Gohan was.

Videl allowed a smirk to come onto her lips, "there's a trick to it with him…watch this" she said as she took a deep breath in and smiled some more. "I guess I'm just going to have to throw all this food out since Gohan is asleep" she said loudly. As soon as those words left her lips Gohan sprung back to life.

"Did someone say there was food for me?" He questioned from his spot, now on the floor.

"How…how'd you know that would work?' Kayla asked as she cocked an eyebrow.

"When they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach…they were dead on with Gohans family. This boy thinks with his stomach" she said with a quiet laugh as she watched Gohan blush.

Before Gohan could reply they heard a knock on the door. "It's me Chief Connell, may I come in and interview the victim?" the chief asked from behind the door.

Kayla turned to the two teens and watched as Gohan frantically out his disguise back on and nodded that he was good now. Kayla walked to the door and allowed the chief back into the room.

"Miss Vide, I'm very sorry for you loss, but we need to question you one what happened in order to get to the bottom of this and catch this guy" the chief said as he took his hat off in an effort to show his respect.

"I…can I tell it to Saiyaman?" she asked quietly as he eyes turned to stare at his bed.

"What?' the chief questioned in confusion.

"I want to tell Saiyaman…then he can tell you. I only want to tell him" she said quietly, her eyes now welling up with unshed tears.

"I don't see why that couldn't work" Kayla added as the chief gave a skeptical look.

"Ok…I'll respect your wishes. But Saiyaman I want very last detail, don't screw up and make me have to question her myself" she chief said, surprisingly compliant to Videls wishes. "You've got an hour to get the story out" he said as he nodded and left the room.

"Wow…I'm surprised he agreed to that" Kayla said in bewilderment.

"No kidding" Gohan said, his mouth still open in surprise.

"Well…I'll leave you two to talk. Here," she said as she grabbed a box of tissues and placed it on the cart beside Videls bed, "just in case you need it hun" she said with a weak smile as she left the room and closed the door behind her allowed the two teens to talk about the traumatic event in privacy.

"Alright Videl…what happened?" Gohan questioned gently as he watched a stray tear fall down Videl's cheek.

He leaned forward and gently wiped the tear from her cheek, "look sweetie, I know you don't want t talk about it, but you've got to" Gohan said softly as he held her shaking form.

She inhaled a shaky deep breath, "alright, I think I can do this" she said quietly as she cleared her throat and quickly wiped her eyes, being mindful of her swollen eye. "Ok, you remember where I left off right? How I had been chased in the park and knocked unconscious with chloroform?" she questioned as she received a not from him. "Ok, I'm going to continue on…I'm going to ask that you don't interrupt me, or else I don't think I'll be able to finish" she once again received a nod and then continued with her story

**Authors note: Alright, I'm gonna write it as if you're witnessing it…it's just easier that way instead of having her sit there and just talk. K? Back to the story!!***

~*~ *~*~*~

Videl felt her heavy eyes slowly opening, 'where am I?' she thought to herself in her disoriented state. She attempted to allow her eyes to adjust to the room, but felt they were more spinning then anything. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, this is when she noticed her breathing was limited through her mouth. Come to think of it…something was tied rather tightly around her mouth, forcing cloth in her mouth.

Videl felt her sense come back to her with a jolt, she realized her legs were tied together at the ankles and her hands were tied tightly behind her back while she was gagged. She also noticed she was sleeping on a rather plush bed, something, just seemed so distant, but so familiar about it.

She looked around the room and quickly noticed that she was back in her bedroom from when she lived in her father's mansion. She studied the dimly lit room and noticed that the room was as she had left it over a year ago, only the windows had heavy curtains covering them.

Her eyes widened as she heard footsteps echoing in the hallway, no doubt coming closer to the bedroom that held her captive. She started to move and try and shake her bindings loose but was unsuccessful. She heard the steps just outside her door and felt her movements getting more frantic as she desperately tried to free herself, but once again, to no avail.

She tried to calm her breathing as she heard the door handle twist and open the door. Heavy footsteps entered the room and slammed the door shut quickly behind them. Videl squinted her eyes to try and see who it was, but the figure was obscured by the shadows.

The man stepped forward and delivers a sharp slap to Videls face, "You stupid bitch" the man yelled.

Videls eyes opened wide both in fear and shock as realization dawned on her as to who the man was. She began to shake unconsciously as her body was racked with fear.

"You made me look like a fool to the world, you went and slept around with that stupid skinny kid and you even tried to play innocent. This is the end for you, you stupid whore" Hercule spat as he roughly grabbed Videl's face and forced her widened eyes to look at him.

He roughly pulled the gag off of Videls mouth. Videl parted her lips as she attempted to formulate words but was struck with fear and couldn't formulate a sentence. Then her eye was struck by Hercule's fist, a scream of pain came from her lips, but was silenced by a hard slap.

Videl clamped her mouth shut quickly, a copper taste filled her mouth, and she knew her lip was bleeding. She looked up, she could feel her one eye beginning to swell, but dismissed it quickly as she stared into her father's eyes.

Hercule looked at her expectantly; he shoved her back against the bed and watched as she struggled to set up. He stared at her, almost as if he was trying to bate her into talking so he could deliver another slap to the face. Videl swallowed the blood that was in her mouth, "You're right" she said quietly, wincing as she expected to receive another blow but was surprised when that hit never came. "I have embarrassed you; you were just trying to look out for me. I was wrong to act the way I acted. I'm so sorry daddy, I want to live with you again" she said pitifully, trying to coax her father into calming down.

His face had appeared to soften momentarily as if he had accepted her apology, but his face quickly hardened as he kicked Videl hard, hitting her in the arm with his heavy boot. She screamed in pain then caught herself quickly. Screaming always made things worse.

"I almost believed you there" he said as he chuckled lightly. He grabbed Videl roughly by the throat and held her a few inches off the ground, allowing her feet to dangle as he gripped tightly to the flesh of her throat.

"No…you've embarrassed me beyond repair, you went too far this time" he seethed as he watched Videl struggle to breath. As a look of panic came across Videl's eyes he gave a smirk. "Scared are we?" he questioned, laughing as she struggled against his grip.

Videl struggled in a fruitless attempt to free herself. Her arms and legs were both bound together, effectively limiting what she could do to fight back. Thoughts raced through her mind as she felt his grip tighten on her throat and felt her world slowly growing hazy.

Just as she was about to black out she felt herself roughly being shoved against the wall, cringing as she felt her head dent the wall behind her, with that final flash of pain, she passed out.

Hercule watched as Videls eyes slowly rolled into the back of her head, smirking in satisfaction, he then roughly slammed her into the wall again for good measure then allowed her limp body to drop onto the floor.

He walked away from her body, casting a quick glance back to see if she was faking it and then shut the door behind him.

Videl felt her heavy eyes open about half an hour later. She attempted to push herself up but felt it impossible as her limbs were still tied up. She pushed herself up against the wall and sat there, her body ached more then she had ever experience before and her head was absolutely throbbing.

She looked around her dim room and as her eyes focused she felt her head continue to throb harder and harder until she suddenly felt a nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. She frantically looked around the room and saw a large bowl in her room, probably from popcorn she had over a year ago. 'I'm going to be sick' she thought as she quickly shuffled her way over and threw up in the bowl.

She looked up at the wall and noticed a thin blood trail trickling down the wall, then lifted her head up from its spot on the ground and noticed thick red blood had been oozing onto the pale carpet. 'I bet I have a concussion' she thought to herself as she held her breath and noticed that the door was being opened again.

Hercule stormed into the room and looked around and noticed Videl laying on the ground close to her bed. "I see you're up…and trying to escape. Well don't worry you won't be around much longer to have anything to escape from" he muttered as he kicked Videl so she rolled over onto her stomach.

He leaned down and then picked Videl up by her wrists. Videl could feel one of her wrists twisting ore then the other one and felt a sharp pain shoot through one of her wrists, and the pain only continued to get worse as Hercule supported all her weight on her wrist.

She bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself from screaming in pain. Thoughts screamed in her mind; she hoped and prayed that Gohan would magically appear and save her from Hercule, she wished she could fight back. She could feel her energy draining quickly, Hercule was definitely determined to end it this time and make sure she never interfered in his life again.

Videl felt as though she was going to drift out of consciousness again, she felt so drained by everything that was going on, she almost welcomed the eternal darkness Hercule was pushing her towards. She noticed him bringing her into the bathroom.

Before she could attempt to come up with a reason as to why she would have been brought here, she was roughly thrown into the large bath tub, landing right on top of her knee.

She winced in pain feeling her knee swell up right on impact with the tub. She looked up at Hercule and noticed an evil glint in his eyes.

Hercule smirked as he noticed the fear in Videls eyes, he reached behind him and pulled out a large jagged knife from his belt and held it in front of Videl.

Videls eyes widened in fear as she felt Hercule slowly drag the dull side of the knife along Videls neck. "Isn't it strange" he started as he brought the knife back up to him and sat on the edge of the bathtub, now playing with the sharp point of the knife. "How something as common as a knife, can strike so much fear into the eyes of the 'fearless' Videl" he said, letting out a chuckle at the thought.

"This ends now" he said with a smirk as he put the jagged blade against the skin of her neck, watching tears erupt from her eyes in fear.

Just as Hercule pressed the hard jagged metal against her throat, a loud noise came from downstairs. Luck was on Videl's side, someone was ringing the door bell.

Hercule sent the bathroom door a glare as he turned his attention to Videl. "You make so much as a peep, I will torture you till you die; slowly and painfully" he threatened as he walked out of the bathroom, knife in hand.

"Who is it?" Hercule screamed as he walked out of the bathroom and quickly made his way downstairs.

"You Chinese food is here sir" came through an intercom.

~*~ Meanwhile~*~

Videl looked frantically around the bathroom, now was her change to attempt to escape. She looked around and all she could find was a razor. She scooted over in the tub and lifted herself up, biting her lip as pain coursed through her body.

She grabbed the disposable razor and frantically attempted to break the flimsy plastic that was behind her back. She eyed the door, listening for the returning steps of her father.

She smiled despite her fear as she felt the flimsy plastic give way and quickly grabbed one of the razors and turned it in an attempt to cut her bindings.

She silenced her screams, tears streamed down her face as her hands and wrists were cut from the blade as she blindly attempted to set herself free. Her eyes then widened in surprise, it worked. She pulled her now free hands over her head, blood drops and smears were all over the bathtub. She quickly grabbed another razor and started cutting the bindings that were around her ankles.

She laughed lightly; she knew this was an odd situation to be laughing but my some stroke of luck she had managed to free herself, she now stood a fighting chance at survival; she would see Gohan again and wouldn't allow this man to continue to destroy her.

She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and face, smearing blood all over her face in the process and quickly stood up, trying to figure out what she should do. She stepped out of the bath tub and slipped as pain in her swollen knee made it hard to support weight.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

Hercule had just paid for the Chinese food and was looking through the contents of his bag. He picked up a box to smell its content when he then heard a loud banging noise coming from upstairs.

He stared at the ceiling in surprise then realized his daughter wouldn't quit that easily. He dropped the box of food and made a dash for the bathroom, knife in hand.

He made his way to the hallway and slowed his pace, making it difficult to hear his heavy footsteps.

He stepped opened the door and noticed that the shower curtain had been closed. He arched an eyebrow in confusion and then reached out and quickly pulled the shower curtain and was surprised to find an empty bathtubs, with blood smeared all over it.

His surprise quickly turned to anger but before he could scream he heard a scream himself. He turned around and had a hair dryer quickly smash into his face.

Videl screamed as she put all her strength into smashing the hair dryer into Hercules face. She noticed he was stunned by it and quickly took the opportunity to run in an attempt to get outside. She heard an angry growl behind her and knew that Hercule was right in her heels. She could feel Hercule attempting to stab her but he only succeeded in scratching her back.

She screamed in fear, adrenaline coursing through her body, not even feeling the pain that was threatening to knock her out. She ran as quickly as her legs would carry her down the hallway, not daring to look back; she could tell by the heavy breathing behind her that Hercule was hot on her heels.

She heard him growl again as he attempted to stab her, she screamed in response, tears starting to make their way down her battered face. As she ran down the long hallways, she desperately tried to slow him down, knocking things such as vases or mini statues of Hercule down, but it only seemed to make him angrier

She stared up ahead and noticed that the hallway was turning; in Videls mind this could be both a good thing and a bad thing. It was a good thing because it meant she wasn't too far from the door and her freedom; however it was a bad thing because it meant she'd have to slow down to take the corner.

She was jarred out of her thoughts as she felt the knife go whizzing beside her head and insert itself into the wall. A growl of frustration left Hercules lips as he noticed he missed his shot, now he was weapon less.

Videl screamed in terror again as she came up to the corner, her feet slid on the slick marble tile, as she smacked against the wall, leaving a bloody imprint from where she hit. Unfortunately when she felt, her ankle twisted the wrong wall leaving her to fall to the ground in pain. She saw Hercule coming at her and in a split second she rolled over and watched as Hercule launched his fist into the wall.

That was exactly what she needed, as Hercule attempted to pull his fist out of the wall, Videl quickly went back to her feet and started running again. With each stride she took, she felt herself growing weaker and weaker. Her injured joints were too swollen to continue her original pace and her original adrenaline rush was slowly wearing off leaving Videl to feel the full effects of what she's endured in this time frame from when she was kidnapped.

She heard his heavy footsteps coming quickly behind her as she made her way down the stairs as quickly as her mangled body could manage. 'How can I defend myself?' she thought frantically as she attempted to open the door, but noticed that her father had added a few more locks while she was gone, one of them being a lock and key. She couldn't get out of her house and there was no way she had the energy to make it to the back door.

She thought about grabbing a knife from the kitchen, but knew Hercule would be able to easily over power her and stab her as a result. What could she use, her mind desperately tried to come up with some method of defence. She saw a phone on a side table and quickly raced over and grabbed it, pressing 911 as hard as she could.

"We're sorry, but your phone has been disconnected as per your request, please call the operator" a mechanical voice said over the phone.

Videl screamed in frustrations, her father had though ahead, much more far ahead then she had anticipated. She looked to the other side of the room and noticed a number of bags packed as if Hercule was going to go on vacation. She realized then that he had been planning on murdering her and fleeing the country.

"You stupid bitch!" echoed through the hallways, "what I get my hands on you I'm going to strangle you…then I'm going to cut your throat just for good measure" Hercule seethed as he attempted to locate Videl, the voice sounding dangerously close to where she was at the moment.

The words 'kill you' rang in Videl's head, suddenly she had an idea and she hoped her father hadn't changed the location of things in her house.

Videl started running again towards a barely used den, being careful to stay out of Hercules sight along the way; his heavy steps still close on her trail. She ran into the room and saw a dusty, old china hutch and started to frantically rummage through its contents. She made sure she was careful not to break anything.

She felt a smile come to her lips through her fearful tears as her hand landed on something cold and hard. It was still there…she stood a chance, her father kept the gun.

She grabbed it in her hands and turned to make her way out of the house, but as soon as she turned she felt something grip tightly on to her neck and the gun was sent flying into the corner of the room. Videl desperately tried to breath but Hercule had both of his hands wrapped tightly around her neck, lifting her off the floor.

Videl desperately tried to pry his hands from her throat but failed, she was beginning to become frantic; she was going to die shortly and she knew it.

"You thought you could get away…thought you'd win. I got news for you sweetheart…I never lose!" Hercule screamed through his heavy pants as he tightened his grip on her throat even more.

Videl could feel herself losing consciousness; she knew she'd be dead in less than a minute unless she could think of something fast. Then it hit her and she simply acted on impulse; Videl mustered up all the strength she could and sent a hard kick right between Hercules legs.

Hercule gasped in pain as he dropped Videl to the ground and quickly moved both hands between his legs in an attempt to provide comfort for his swelling boys.

Videl gently grasped her throat in an attempt to catch her breath. She realized she had stunned Hercule and she now had the break she had been hoping and praying for. She quickly scrambled to her feet and grabbed the gun and held it tightly in her shaking hands.

Hercule looked up and noticed that Videl had a gun pointed at him; he laughed a little, as he took in a deep breath and stood up straight despite his pain. "You don't have the nerve to do it you stupid bitch" he said with a smile as he watched Videls hands shake with fear.

"Don't move, I swear to god" she screamed as she took in a deep inhale, her lip started to bleed again resulting in a small trail of blood going down her face. "Why are you doing this?" she questioned as she attempted to calm herself, tears slowly streaming down her cheeks.

"You embarrassed me, all you had to do was stay here and attempt to behave, but no, you had to go off with that scrawny kid. You're a disobedient bitch and you will pay for your insolent" He seethed as he narrowed his eyes and took a step forward.

"Don't take another step, I will shoot" she screamed again, tremors of fear coursing through her body as a new way of adrenalin coursed through her body.

"I'll kill you ,you stupid bitch!" he yelled as he grabbed a lamp and charged at Videl.

Before Videl knew what had happened, a bullet fired from her gun and hit Hercule in the shoulder. She watched him scream in pain and drop the lamp on the ground, watching it break into a million little pieces.

"You're pathetic, you fat ass whore" he muttered through clenched teeth as he gripped his shoulder to try and stop the bleeding.

Videl felt tears start pouring down her face as she let another scream leave her lips as her finger pulled the trigger again, and again, and again until she had emptied all the bullets into Hercule. As she shot she watched as his body jerked back after each impact with a bullet until he finally fell backwards onto the ground.

Her body shook in terror as her hand fell limply to the side of her and the gun dropped to the floor with a soft thud. Her mind was telling her to check to make sure Hercule was dead, but her body wouldn't agree. She felt as though something had sucked the life right out of her, she knew her body was willing to give into an eternal oblivion. She felt her eye lips grow heavy as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. With all of her energy gone from her beaten and mangled body, she fell unconscious, unknowing if she would ever wake or not again.

~*~ Present time~*~

Videl felt her whole body shake as she replayed the images through her head again; hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at her hands blankly.

"I'm the one who killed him" she said quietly, her tone of voice seemed confused, as if she were unsure of what to make of the whole event

"If you didn't kill him, he would have killed you. You did what anyone in your situation would do" Gohan said as he held her tightly in a hug. He felt Videls body shake as he held her tightly, her sobs becoming louder and louder as he spoke. He knew that there was no way he could just make this emotional terror leave her so he did his best to comfort her in her time of need.

"I'm a criminal" she breathed out as she gripped tightly onto Gohans shirt.

"You are a victim. You're a hero, you're not a criminal. He was going to kill you Videl…look at the state you're in! He would have continued to come after you until he killed you. You protected yourself" he said quietly, trying to keep his tone at a comforting one.

"I thought I was going to die" she whispered, wiping tears from her face.

"You were meant to be the one to live…you had a will to live; a reason to live" he whispered gently as he rubbed her back gently. "Just cry sweetie…let it out" he whispered as she continued to cry.

"I thought I was never going to see you again" she whispered, her body felt drained, both from the morphine starting to kick in, as well as the motional terror she just realized.

"You're not getting away from me that easily" he whispered laughing gently in an attempt to lighten her mood. "I would bring you back" he whispered as he gently lay down on the bed, bring her down with him.

"Do you think the world will be made at me?" Videl whispered back, as she attempting to stop her tears.

"I think, if there are smart people working on this case that they'll look at the evidence presented to them and know that Hercule was the one who planned everything and had intended on killing you and leaving down. You are completely innocent in this honey" he whispered as he felt her nod her head into her chest.

"I think you should try and sleep, you're safe now and I promise I won't let anyone harm you again" he said as he felt her nod her head gently.

Gohan ran his fingers through Videl's hair as he felt herself slowly giving into sleep. His mind reeled at everything she had just told him; he couldn't even imagine what it would be like to go through that and have your father be the one to go through with it. He was however, incredibly grateful for the fact that she was the fighter she was and how she managed to endure so much that day.

He felt Videl now lay sound asleep beside him, he was grateful for the fact he was alive, and was going to do anything in his power to help her overcome this. He gave her credit; it took a lot of courage to talk about what she went through that day she he would have to repeat it in great detail to the police so they wouldn't have to question her again.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the hospital room's door. He looked up as he watched Kayla peek her head in and give him a gentle smile, "hey sorry to interrupt but the police want to speak t you about what went on" she said as she watched Gohan cast his eyes downwards at Videls sleeping figured.

"I'll be right out…she's been through a lot we'll let her sleep" he said solemnly as he gently moved Videl off of him and let her rest gently on the bed.

"Was it hard for her to get through everything?" Kayla asked as she came over with her clip boar and started writing Videl's vitals down.

"She seemed to have trouble getting through it, but she managed. I was actually pretty surprised when I heard what had happened myself…she went through more than anyone is giving her credit for surviving" he said as he put his bandana back on and put his sunglasses on. He heaved a big sigh, "alright, let's get this over with" he said as Kayla offered a weak smile and led him out of the room towards where the police were waiting.

~*~

Alright, that's chapter 21 guys! Once again I'm very, very sorry for the delay but I have been completely swamped with reading so my next chapter will probably once again be delayed, 2, maybe three weeks. I will try and speed it up, but I've got an awful lot of reading to do and assignments and tests are starting to come up as well.

Please let me know what you think, I love hearing from all of you and I welcome your reviews.

This was my first attempt at trying to write a suspenseful and gripping story, so let me know how you think I did or what you think I need you to improve on.

Hope you enjoyed it! Read and review guys!!


	22. What Will They Think?

Hey guys, I'm really, really sorry for the delay in chapter postings. School has been crazy these past few weeks and I've been completely consumed in school work. To emphasize this, I've had 7 midterms, 3 quizzes, 3 essay proposals, 5 essays, keeping up with my readings (12 separate books) and a book report; I also worked 25 hours each week and played hockey three times a week. Long story short I've been keeping very busy. I really truly do hope you understand my delay and that you'll forgive me for it. I hope I've still got a strong fan base and I hope that you'll enjoy my next chapter. I promise come December, I'll be able to write more as all I'll have is work.

But anyways, here is chapter 22, Again I'm sorry for the delay…I'll tell you what, if I get 10 reviews I'll make sure to get chapter 23 out within two weeks. Sound like a deal?

Enjoy!

~*~

Chapter 22: What Will They Think?

'Thinking'

"Talking"

Gohan gently closed Videl's door behind and leaned against it. He reached his hand up and rubbed his eyes as he heaved a heavy sigh. Gohan knew Videl didn't do anything wrong, but given Hercule's reputation, he was petrified for her safety and how the police as well as the public would react.

He knew no matter how he stalled he would eventually have to tell the police what happened; if he didn't then they'd just question Videl and there was no way he was willing to let her go through her emotional terror if he could help it.

He walked down the aisle towards the private waiting room. Once he reached the private waiting room he inhaled deeply as he grasped the cool door handle. 'It's now or never' he thought to himself as he then opened the door and took a step in.

He gave a small smile as he was greeted with the view of his family and friends sitting awkwardly with the police, each giving each other a suspicious look.

"How did the press conference go chief?" Gohan asked, trying to ease the tension and stall before having to relay everything he had just been told.

"The public is heartbroken at the death of their hero" Chief Connell said solemnly as he stared at the tile floor in front of him.

'It's about to get a whole lot worse' Gohan thought to himself as he watched the chief stand up and straighten the creases on his pants.

"Let's get to work Mr. Saiyaman. I trust that Videl told you about our attacker?" The chief asked as he put his police hat back on top of his balding head.

"She did" he replied quietly, casting his glance elsewhere, not looking forward to what was about to come.

"I spoke with Kayla, she's putting us into a secluded room where you and I will talk man to man" The chief said as he motioned with his head for Gohan to follow.

Gohan nodded in response and followed the chief out of the waiting room; the two other officers accompanied them.

As soon as the door closed to the waiting room everyone sat in silence. "I wonder what happened" Chi Chi pondered out loud as she slowly ran her fingers through Gotens hair as he curled up beside her.

"Gohan looked uneasy" Aaliyah mused as she closed her eyes and leaned against Yamcha's arm, he squeezed her hand in response to offer some comfort.

"Do you think we should ask Videl what happened ourselves?" Bulma asked as she absentmindedly rubbed her swollen belly.

Goku lightly shook his head, "I don't think it's a good idea to ask Videl…I'm sure it'll be all out in the open soon enough" he stated quietly.

A moment of silence came over the group before a quiet knock came at the door. A few seconds later the door opened and Kayla quietly stepped in and greeted the group with a smile.

"Hey guys, I hope the chief didn't bother you guys too much" she said, still smiling at the friendly group. "I figured since the chief will be busy with Gohan for awhile…did you want to go back into Videl's room? She's asleep now but she's definitely doing better, we've lowered her morphine dosage a little so she's more coherent and can carry on a conversation…well she can when she's awake at least" she said as she sat down on a chair beside Vegeta.

"I would love to see my baby girl again" Aaliyah said quietly.

"After going through what you all have, I figured you'd want to be near her as much as you can…so long as the chief is busy, I have absolutely no problem with you guys visiting her. But if the chief comes back, please don't be upset if I kick you out abruptly" she laughed a little, "I could get fired" she said as she leaned back against the chair.

"Kayla?" a small voice questioned.

"What can I do for you buddy?" she replied with a smile as she looked down at Goten.

"When can Videl come home? Bulma has medical things that could take care of her really quickly. I don't like it here" Goten said with a small pout.

"Well, we should probably keep her here over night, but if I pulled some strings and Mrs. Briefs promised to take care of Videl, I could try and have her released tomorrow" she replied as she cast a glance up at Bulma.

"Actually, I think my medical equipment would double her recovery time" Bulma mused as she gave a smile to Kayla, "If you're good with it I'd be happy to fix her up. I'll have her check in with you in a week".

"Excellent, I'll start on the paper work tonight, you guys can check her out tomorrow" Kayla said as she stood up, "now, how about we go to her room so she's greeted with family faces" she said as she opened the door allowing the others to follow her.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

Gohan nervously walked behind the police chief towards a secluded room for their discussion. It's funny how someone could go against some of the toughest monsters in the universe, and a little conversation made him more nervous than previous events combined.

The chief stopped in front of a door then unlocked it with a key and motioned for Gohan to follow him. Gohan stepped into the room and moved towards the table in the centre of the room as the door clicked shut, the two other officers stood guard outside of the door to prevent disturbances.

"Mr. Saiyaman, please have a seat" the chief said as he sat down and motioned for Gohan to follow his lead.

Gohan sat down and held his breath, desperately trying to think of some way to stall, but at this point there was no way of avoiding getting the discussion under way.

"What happened?" the chief questioned as he turned on his tape recorder.

Gohan cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "I want you to promise no harm will come to Videl first" he stated firmly.

"Depending on what's happened. I can't make that promise" the chief stated.

"I want you to be open minded…she's not lying in her story and I don't want her to be promised her safety no matter what. You promise me that and I will sing like a canary" Gohan stated firmly again in his fake voice.

The chief gave him a glare, "fine, her safety is guaranteed" he stated gruffly.

"Thank you…now where do you want me to start? Do you want me to tell you Videl's account of the story, or skip right to the ending?" he questioned the older man.

"Start with the story, don't skip on the details" he stated as he reached over and grabbed a water bottle off the middle of the table.

"Alright, she told me it started when she was walking home from the library; there was construction on the road so she had to take the pathway through the park to get to Mrs. Briefs house. She said someone was chasing her and no matter how fast she ran she couldn't elude this person in the dark. She said next thing she knew she felt a wet cloth being pressed to her face, smelt chloroform, and then passed out" he stated, playing with his gloves, uncomfortably at relaying the tale.

"What park?" the chief questioned.

"Satan City Park, as I said there was construction near the school library. She said it was generally a populated area but it was strangely quiet for that time of day" he stated the chief nodding in response.

"Please, continue" the chief said, taking another swig of water.

"She said when she woke up she realized she was back in the Satan mansion. She said her arms and legs were bound together and she was gagged. Her attacker then came into her room and started to beat her up a bit and then slammed her head against the wall where she said that she then blacked out from a concussion" he stated uncomfortable. He had never been so thankful that he had sun glasses on then he was during this conversation.

"The assailant slammed her head into the wall?" the chief questioned.

"Yes, she said he grabbed her by the throat that was part of the reason she passed out" he stated again.

The chief gave a nod then motioned for Gohan to continue.

"She said she woke up and threw up, that's how she knew she had a concussion. She said her attacker came back and picked her up by her wrist binds and carried her into the bathroom where he threw her into the tub. She said he then told her he was going to kill her and ran the dull side of the knife against her throat. She said he pressed the jagged side of the knife to her throat, but the door rang and he went to go and answer it"

The chief gave a puzzled look, "the door bell rang? Do you know what time or who was at the door?" he questioned.

"She said she could smell Chinese food" he stated.

"That makes sense…we did find take out in the kitchen" the chief mused as he motioned for Gohan to again continue.

"She said when he left to go and get the door she broke a disposable razor and used it to cut her bindings on her wrists and ankles, but she cut herself in the process. She went to get out of the tub but slipped and her attacker came upstairs quickly after. She said she hid and when he had his back to her she slammed a hair dryer into his face and started to run down the hallway"

"That explains the blood all in the bathtub. That's good…we were worried she had been sexually assaulted" the chief once again mused as Gohan continued.

"She said he chased after her and kept trying to stab her but she managed to keep ahead of her. She said the knife flew past her head but it missed her and then she rounded a corner and tripped and twisted her ankle in the process." He cast a glance over at the chief, every now and then he noticed the heavy set man would scribble something down onto a piece of paper before motioning for Gohan to continue again.

"She ran down the stairs and said she remembered something and went and grabbed the gun. She said her attacker tried to choke her again, but she kicked him between the legs and grabbed the gun…she begged him to stop and leave her alone but he said he was going to kill her and came after her…where she then shot him in self defence" Gohans voice got quiet as he noticed the chiefs head shoot up and look straight into Gohans eyes.

"She shot her attacker…who…" The chief couldn't finish the words; the wheels in his head were turned as he waited for Gohan to finish his thought.

"Mr. Satan was her attacker" Gohan said quietly as he looked downwards, avoiding the shocked look on the chiefs head.

The chiefs face contorted to a look of anger as he stood up and slammed his fist onto the table, "you're lying" he screamed as he gripped his fists and glared at Gohan, "Hercule was a hero not a killer, how dare you accuse him of that. I demand you tell me the real story" he fumed

Gohan felt his anger rising, he just told him what his girlfriend had endured and he was accusing him of lying, "I'm telling you the truth, check the evidence, dust the knife for prints, they are all Hercule's. He has been abusing that poor woman for years and you're here defending that assholes honour? I will not tolerate it. That is what Videl endured and if his life had to be sacrificed to save the woman he tried to kill, then I have no issues with that" Gohan stood up and let his chair go crashing to the ground behind him.

"I'm going back to Videl, you will not be bothering her" Gohan snarled as he turned around and walked out of the room, slamming and breaking the door behind him.

The chief scrambled to the broken door, "if we find any flaw in your retelling of the story, you will be charged and Miss Satan will be thrown in jail before you can say jail bait" the chief yelled.

Gohan stopped in mid step and turned around and walked quickly back to the chief. "I know, you aren't stupid enough to refer to Videl as jail bait, and if you are, I promise you I will make sure you're never able to utter words again" he hissed as he held the chief above the ground by the collar of his shirt. "Do your damn job, and do it properly. Hercule is an abuser, and an attempted killer" Gohan seethed again as he stormed away again, making his way up to Videl's room.

The chief was left in a stunned stupor; his mind was reeling at the fact that their city's hero may have been the one who attempted to murder Videl. He quickly grabbed his cell phone and pressed the speed dial button, "Mick, compare all finger prints found in the house to both Satan's, I need to know who's prints are on what weapons and I want to know as soon as possible" he said as he quickly shut the phone.

"I have to be objective about this…Videl isn't a liar, be objective Don" he whispered to himself as he picked up his hat and put it back on and moved to get back to the station.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

Gohan marched through the hallways, his disguise hiding his angered expression. He couldn't believe the nerve of the police chief; after all the times Videl had put her life on the line to save his and everyone else's around her, he had the nerve to refer to her as jail bait. He desperately tried to avoid the curious glances he was receiving as he passed people in the hallways and responded to their greetings with a quiet grunt.

He looked around until he could find a directory, realizing he had just gotten himself lost in the building. He stared blankly at the wall map and realized he must have taken a wrong turn because he was on the other side of the hospital. He heaved a sigh as he walked away from the map and took a look outside. The front of the hospital was littered with reporters, each waiting for the next bit of information related to the case.

'I hope those police are competent and don't try to do anything to Videl' he thought to himself as he sighed and continued on his way back to his girlfriends room, using the opportunity to walk off his anger.

~*~Meanwhile~*~

A groan escaped Videls lips as she attempted to fall asleep again; she attempted to move but winced lightly as pain shot up her side. She heaved a sigh and slowly opened her eyes allowing them to adjust to the stream of light that was coming through her windows. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and took a look around the room and couldn't help but smile.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Aaliyah asked as she gently stroked Videls hair.

"I'm alright I guess…still sore" she said, smiling to the other occupants in the room who were now directing their attention to her. "I feel so lazy being in here" she muttered as she brought her hand up and ran it through her hair "and dirty, my hair feels gross" she said as her Aaliyah laughed lightly.

"Don't worry sweetie, we've got some good news" Aaliyah said as Goten not jumped up onto Videl's bed and gave her a big smile.

"You can come home tomorrow!" Goten exclaimed as he moved to gently give Videl a hug.

Videl smiled and returned Goten's hug in response, "I really can, they don't want to keep me anymore?"

"No they do want to keep you, but Kayla said she'd pull some strings and you'd be released under my care" Bulma said as she stretched and proper her feet up on Vegeta's lap.

"That's awesome, I'm so glad to be going home" she responded with a relieved smile.

"I figure we'll stick you in the regeneration chamber just to boost some of your fluids, then we'll grab a senzu bean and you'll be good as new and back to your ass kicking ways again" Bulma said with a smile, gently stroking her belly.

"Thank god! I miss my bed" Videl sighed as she leaned back against her bed, Goten still sitting beside her.

"You have no idea how much I enjoy hearing you call our place your home" Chi Chi said with a smile.

"More of a home then I've experience" Videl replied with a smile, "Hey have any of you seen Gohan?" She questioned as she looked around the room and noticed her favourite person was nowhere to be seen.

"He had gone to speak with the chief, but that was about an hour ago, I'd imagine he'd be coming back soon" Chi Chi mused as she glanced up at the clock.

"Well speak of the devil" Goku chuckled as a few people glanced over at him.

"What?" Chi Chi asked as she arched an eyebrow.

A moment later a gentle knock came from the window, "excuse me, but could someone let me in please?" Gohan asked as he floated outside of Videl's window.

Goku opened up the window for his son and closed it quickly before the reporters realized what window he had just gone through.

"That's one way to make an entrance" Videl said with a smile as she watched Gohan pull his bandana off and remove his sunglasses.

"You know me, I always make the best entrances" He said as he gave Videl a grin and quickly moved to kiss her forehead.

"At least you didn't dance this time" Trunks muttered as Goten snickered from his place beside Videl.

Gohan shot Trunks and Goten a glare as they continued to laugh at him. He felt his glare drop quickly as small hands grasped his.

"Your dancing is getting better, you've been doing really well lately" Videl said with a smile as Gohan leaned down again and gave her a quick kiss.

"I can't wait for you to come back home…this environment is annoying here" Gohan muttered as he proper himself against the bed so he was closer to Videl.

"Then I've got good news for you" She said with a smile as Gohan turned to give her his attention, "Goten told me a few minutes ago I can go home tomorrow" she said as her smile grew, watching his match it.

"You can? Really? This is great!" he exclaimed, a few seconds later his face took on a look of worry, "are you sure that you're healthy enough to be released from the hospital?" he questioned as he gently ran a finger over her still swollen and black eye.

"I told Kayla that I'd take care of her. I figure we can put her in the regeneration chamber for a short while then give her a senzu bean and she'll be good as new by tomorrow night" Bulma said as Gohan looked relieved.

"That's great news!" He exclaimed as he gently hugged his girlfriend.

"Yea, I'm looking forward to going home" she said with a smile, still holding his hand.

"I guess you all can come and stay at my place for the night, then we'll all head home and try and get past this whole ordeal. Sound good to everyone?" Bulma questioned.

"If you guys don't mind, I think we're actually going to go home tonight. We haven't seen Marron in a few days. We love you to bits Videl, but we'd love to see our daughter" Krillin said with a bashful smile.

"It's alright Krillin, I'm actually very grateful that you stayed this long, it really means a lot to me" Videl said as he smiled to the short man and his wife.

"Your part of the family," 18 stated quietly then returned to staring blankly out the window.

"Thanks 18….Well what have I missed lately?" Videl asked cheerfully, finally starting to return to a relative normal state and not continually drugged.

~*~ I'm going to skip to a little later on because I'm unsure of what to write~*~

Gohan walked through the empty hallways of the hospital; every now and then he would see a nurse occupying themselves with a random activity. He held an assortment of juice bottles and packaged foods to bring back to the room in his arms. He stopped as he caught a glance at a TV, no surprise a news reporter was on it, reporting on updates from the Satan case.

His mouth dropped slightly at what he heard next. "A source has given channel 36 a tip that Videl Satan was the one who killed her father, we however can neither confirm or deny this rumour." The bubbly reporter said as she turned to a few people on the streets and pointed her microphone at them.

"What's your interpretation on this rumour?" she questioned a young Asian man that had been walking down the street that night.

"I think that Videl has proved herself more than once and if it were true that she killed Hercule, I have no doubt in my mind it was under forced circumstances. I don't think we should rush to conclusions until we hear the whole story" he stated, earning a smile from Gohan.

A blond woman pushed the Asian man out of the way, "Hercule was a hero, there's no way he deserved to die. If that hussy killed him then she should be punished to the full extent of the law" she huffed as she gave the camera a glare.

"Well there you have it folks, we have two completely different views on this rumour. How about you the viewer tell us your opinion; log onto our website and vote on what you feel the circumstance would be if this rumour is true. And now with Vick with the weather" the reporter said as she flashed the camera s smile.

Gohan sighed, "great" he mumbled as he moved back towards the room. 'How did that get out? I only told the chief. There must be a leak in the police system…somehow in a society that depends on a teenager to save their lives, I'm not surprised that there's corruption.' He thought to himself as he continued to make his way to the room.

He pushed his way into the room and noticed that most people had fallen asleep for the night, the emotional burden had now been lifted know that Videl was well on her way to recovery and it was taking quite the toll on everyone's energy level. He quietly placed the products onto the counter and went to the window and stared out the window and at the night sky.

"Feel better now that you know she's coming home?" Goku questioned quietly.

"I'm definitely more relieved" he said with a quiet sigh.

"She killed him didn't she? In self defence" Goku responded, lowering his voice even more.

Gohan nodded in response, "I told the chief today the story…and now it's on the news. I'm a little worried about her safety but I guess knowing that she'll be around us provides some relief" Gohan said as he covered a yawn.

A moment of silence came over the two of them then a grin came to Goku's lips. "How's the planning for her surprise party going?" he asked quietly, making sure that no one else in the room heard him besides his son.

"Yea…she's going to be so mad at me, I think she may even think of killing me" He replied with a quiet chuckle.

"It'll all be worth it. The girls are looking forward to shopping with you after this whole ordeal is over with" Goku replied as he gave his son a pat on the back.

"It'll be interesting, that's for sure. I guess I've still got a month to plan, I've just got to figure out the final details and write out the invitations and send them out" Gohan said as he rubbed his eyes, sleep threatening to take over.

"Alright, well you look pretty tired, go and try and sleep, tomorrow you'll be in a comfy bed…then you'll be back in yours" Goku said cheerfully as Gohan nodded and took his place beside Videls bed.

"Night dad" Gohan whispered.

"Good night son" Goku said quietly. Before either of the two know if, sleep over came them and welcomed them into a blissful unconsciousness.

~*~ Next Morning~*~

Videl started to stir as someone nudged her gently. "What?" she mumbled as she rolled over, keeping her eyes closed.

"I'm really sorry to bother you…but I wanted to let you know that I've got everything set up and as soon as you're ready to check out just get Mrs. Briefs to sign you out, alright?" Kayla whispered as she watched Videl nod her head while trying to fall asleep once again.

"Alright, I'll come back in an hour and make sure all your medications are ready. I'd recommend you try and walk around a bit, you've been in bed for a few days so you're going to feel pretty weak" Kayla whispered, once again receiving a tired nod, she then finished writing own Videl's vitals and left the room.

An hour later Videl once again woke up, but this time on her own. She looked around the room and noticed the other occupants were all still asleep; she couldn't help but smile at how they had all been there for her while she was going through this rough time. She heard a soft snore and looked down to the side of her bed; there Gohans head lay as he continued to sleep peacefully.

She smiled to herself and reached a hand out and gently ran her fingers through his hair. She always loved playing with his hair, and could never get over just how soft his thick locks were, considering his hair always stood so riding, a Son trait she supposed.

As she continued to stroke his hair she noticed that he too was starting to stir and a few seconds later, his thick lashes slowly opened to reveal his dark, tired eyes.

"Morning sunshine" she said as she offered his a smile, watched as he lifted his head up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Morning sweetie" he said through a yawn.

Videl gave a little giggle, earning a strange look from Gohan. "Sorry, you slept on your hand…and you've got a giant hand print on your face; it just looks kinda funny" she said quietly as she tried to cover her giggle.

Gohan smiled, happy to see that she was starting to return to her old self again. He was about to ask her how she was feeling, but she beat him and started speaking herself.

"I've got some good news" she said as she reached out and gently grasped his hand.

"What's that?" he questioned, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Kayla came in a little while ago and said that I'm good to go whenever, Bulma just has to sign me out of the hospital" her grin grew as she watched Gohan's smile get broader.

"That's fantastic! I can't wait to go back home" he stated as he jumped up from his seat and gave Videl a hug.

"Gohan, we know you're happy…but could you shut up a little?" mumbled a tired Bulma as she too started to stir due to Gohans exuberant outburst.

"Sorry Bulma" he said sheepishly as he covered his mouth.

"Kayla also said I should try walks, she said I'd probably find it difficult because I've been lying down for a few days" she said quietly, directing the attention away from Gohan.

"Want to try and go for a walk then?" he questioned in a hushed tone.

Videl gave him a nod and he moved over to the other side of her bed and unplugged her IV so she could walk around with the IV bag pole and then lowered the rail on the side of her bed. "My lady" he said with a bow as he held his hand out to offer her support.

She slowly inched her way closer to the edge of the bed then grasped Gohans hand as she swung her feet over the edge. She inhaled deeply then started moving forwards, letting her bare feet touch the cold tile floor. As her feet hit the floor she felt her strength leave her and felt her knees buckle.

Before she could fall Gohan quickly grabbed her and held her up. She gave him a smile, "I guess this is going to be a little harder then I had expected eh?" she said, slightly embarrassed that she could no longer support her weight because of what had happened.

"It's to be expected, you took quite the beats, and you've been laying down for more than a couple of days, it'll take a little bit to get used to things" he said as he picked her up and moved to sit her on the counter.

Videl sat on her perch atop the counter and slowly started to move to try and stretch her incredibly sore and achy muscles. "I feel so still…but I think most of the swelling has gone done" she commented, wincing as she moved to stretch her back.

"Don't push yourself," Gohan said as he rummaged through a bag that had been brought the other day, "you are still pretty injured, let's get you doing a little walking, not over exerting yourself" he stated as he pulled a pair of socks out from the bag and moved and started to put them on her feet for her.

"Thanks" she said, offering him a smile as he put the last sock on her foot.

"The floor is cold and I'm sure it won't help your twisted ankle to be walking on the tile without any sort of padding" he commented as he picked her up again and walked out of the room. Once they were into the isle and the door had closed gently behind him he turned his attention back to his girlfriend.

"Ready to try this again?" he questioned, meeting her gaze.

She gave his a weak smile and a nod, and then he slowly moved and gently placed her feet on the group, still supporting almost all of her weight. "Don't worry, I've got you…let's try a few steps alright?" he offered as he held her up and watched her slowly move her feet, stumbling slightly.

"This is embarrassing" she muttered as she stumbled taking another step.

"There's no reason to be proud, it's happened to the best of us. I've been in this state before from training too hard with my dad" he replied as he watched her take another uneasy step.

"My legs feel like jello and my ankle is killing me" she muttered, biting her lip as she took another step.

"Want to stop then?" He questioned, watching her carefully, not wanting her to fall.

"No" she stated firmly as she took a deep inhale and took another shaky step, "let me try it by myself".

"I don't think that's such a good idea, you could hurt yourself" he replied nervously, watching her cling tightly onto the mobile pole with her IV.

"Please, let me try" she said, feeling Gohan slowly release her. Her knees buckled and she gripped tightly onto the pole. She felt herself starting to drop and was then quickly picked up.

"Sorry but no, we're going to go back to the room not" Gohan stated as he held Videl bridal style and pushed her pole back to the room.

"I was starting to get it" she said giving Gohan a glare.

"Oh don't even bother giving me that glare, you know I did what was best for you" he stated, rolling his eyes as he pushed the door open and brought her into the room where everyone was now awake.

"Awh, you look like a married couple!" Chi Chi chimed as she allowed a big grin to creep to her face.

"A married couple, with an abusive husband" Vegeta muttered as Bulma slapped him upside the head.

"Vegeta shut up, Gohan wouldn't have the never to do that to Videl" She said, glaring at her husband.

"Whatever" he muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"Videl we should get you out of here so we can get you better. There's no way I'm going to get grandchildren out of you if you're all beaten up" Chi Chi said with a smile, laughing as the two teens blushed.

"Videl waved her hands frantically in front of her face and let out a laugh, "I'm not ready to let my body go all fun house mirrors on me" she said. She then immediately clapped her hands over her mouth when she realized Bulma was glaring at her.

A snort could be heart from Vegeta then a laugh escaped his lips, "she does look like someone looking into one of those mirrors" he said, letting his laugh get louder.

Bulma quickly turned Vegeta a glare, "You did this to me" she snarled as she stepped in front of him and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"Nice move" Gohan whispered sarcastically to Videl.

"I didn't mean too, it just slipped out!" she quickly replied, keeping her voice just as low.

"Try and have sex with me again, see how well that goes" she snarled as she punched Vegeta in the chest and turned to storm out of the room.

"I…didn't need to hear that" trunks mumbled as he covered his ears.

"Ha ha you're going to need therapy when you're older!" Goten yelled as he laughed, enjoying his friends reaction to his parents talking about sex.

"Videl I'm signing you out. We're going home and going now" Bulma screamed in the hallway, "what are you staring at?" she screamed again, noticing the people in the hall way were staring at her as she stormed and mumbled as she walked further away from the room.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that, it just kinda slipped out" Videl said sheepishly, a blush creeping to her cheeks.

"She was bound to scream about something soon, it had been like twenty minutes" Vegeta said with a snort, then let a smirk creep to his face.

"For once I'm going to have to agree with Vegeta, pregnant women are bad enough but you throw sayian DNA in there and you better run for cover" Chi Chi said with a laugh, remember all the times she nearly killed Goku and Gohan.

"Guys I hate to interrupt this conversation, but we should probably meet her out there and head on over to Bulma's place before she rips someone's head off" Goku said, feeling uneasy as a random scream would fill the air once in awhile.

"He's right, Goten grab those Bags please" Chi Chi said as everyone got up from their seat and followed her out of the room.

Gohan placed Videl onto the bed for a moment and was in the middle of putting his disguise on again when a familiar voice spoke.

"I'm glad to see you're going home, and I'm even happier to know that you're in excellent hands" Kayla spoke from behind the two.

"Kayla, you've been so awesome, thank you for taking care of me" Videl said with a sincere smile as Kayla moved and gently picked up her hand gently and started pulling the tape off of it.

"It was my pleasure darling" she said with a grin, pushing a dark lock out of her face as she continued to pull the tape off Videl's hand. "I must say, I don't think I will ever encounter a group quite as interesting as what I've experience with you guys. I saw crazy hair, two heroes of the city and a crazy screaming pregnant genius. Life is good" she said with a chuckle as she gently pulled the IV needle out of Videl's hand.

"I want to thank you for being so accommodating to us, I know we're not the easiest bunch to deal with" Gohan said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't mind, it made my past few days interesting. And I can tell by your look that you're slightly concerned, but I promise you your secret will never escape these lips. I feel like you guys are friends now and I could never betray a friend" Kayla said as she bandaged Videls hand and gave the two a wink.

"Thank you Kayla" Gohan said with a big grin as Videl inched towards the young nurse.

"Thanks you" Videl said with a smile as she reached out and gave the nurse a hug which she happily returned.

"My pleasure guys, I'd do it again if need be…but let's not meet again under these circumstances, you scared me and your poor boyfriend half to death" she said with a laugh as Gohan blushed.

"Can we keep in touch; maybe hang out in a little while?" Videl questioned, rubbing her hand where the needle had once been.

"I think that's a great idea" Kayla said as she pulled a pen out of her breast pocket and ripped a piece of paper off her clip board and scribbled her number down. "That's my cell; if I don't recognize the number I don't always answer so either leave a message or text me…actually text me, I do better with those" Kayla said with a big grin. "You're good to go" she said as she handed Videl the paper.

"Thanks again Kayla" Videl said with a smile. She turned her attention to Gohan and noticed him smacking his head "what are you doing?" she questioned giving him a weird look.

"Uhh…haha so we didn't bring you an outfit to wear home from the hospital" Gohan said sheepishly as the two girls gave him a blank look. "Here, you can wrap yourself in my cape" he said as he unhooked and pulled it around Videl's small frame.

"My hero" Videl muttered as she rolled her eyes then gave her blushing boyfriend a laugh.

"You two are so cute together. You better take good care of her buddy" Kayla said in a mock serious tone as she poked Gohan in the chest. "Alright, you guys get out of here, you've got a group waiting in the lobby and I'm sure the pregnant one isn't in the mood to wait" she said with a laugh as the other two joined her.

"She's right" Gohan said as he tied his bandana and put his sunglasses on, "lets book it" he said as he wrapped the cape completely around Videl and then picked her up bridal style.

"Bye Kayla" the two said with a smile, giving her a wave which Kayla returned.

"Take care guys!" She said with a smile as she walked the two walk out of the room. Once they were out and the door closed she heaved a sigh. "Man, a girl can get tired with a group like that" she said with a laugh as she moved to start cleaning the room.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

"Took you long enough" an annoyed Bulma said, she stood in the front lobby with her arms crossed, tapping her foot.

"We were saying bye to Kayla" Gohan said, Videl still resting comfortably in his arms. Gohan took a quick glance outside and noticed a large crowd was outside of the hospital, most likely hoping to catch any update on the Videl and Hercule scandal.

"Hey guys, how about you leave through the side entrance and I'll take Videl through the front and meet you at Bulmas house…this way the reporters won't go to your house and it won't look weird if I fly away." Gohan stated, giving a hesitant look at the window.

"Good plan son, I guess if he's doing that then we can just do instant transmission there and save some time. See you guys soon" Goku said with a grin as he gave the two a wave and waited for everyone to link up then made a concentrated face and they were gone within seconds.

"Let's get this over with" Gohan said with a sigh as he moved and stepped out of the hospital.

Flashes were coming from every angle as cameras zoomed up on the couple and questioned came from everyone around them.

"Miss Videl, did you really shoot your father?"

"Saiyaman, were you involved in this in anyway?"

"How does it feel to be a murderer Videl?"

"What did Hercule ever do to you?"

"Videl if they show you shot Hercule for no reason I will hunt you down and I will slit your throat" a man from the crowd seethed.

Realizing Videl was in potential danger Gohan took matters into his own hands and quickly levitated into the air.

"You're not a murderer and don't let anyone tell you otherwise" he said quietly as they started flying towards Bulmas house.

Videl remained silent, the reality of everything that had occurred a few days ago was setting him; her father died at her hands. She knew she killed him in order to save her own life…but why did she feel so guilty about it.

"I can't get over the fact that I took someone's life…someone died at my hands" she replied after a few minutes.

"I know people hate hearing this, but I do know how you feel. I've killed many opponents, it doesn't get easier, but you've got to break it down really. It was either you die and the man who beat and abused you your whole life died, or he died and you continue to save the city and live happy and confidently. Karma has a way of coming back to people, and it came back to you and gave you the opportunity to live….as hard as it is now, you will realize you did the right thing and as hard as it may seem you will get past this once that realization dawns on you" Gohan stated, the large briefs mansion quickly coming into view.

Videl didn't respond to Gohans statement, she wasn't sure how to. He was right, he always was…but could she really get past the fact that she took the life of the man that helped give her life? He did however threaten to take that life away numerous times, and beat it to the point of death more than once. Gohan always knows the right thing to say, she reasoned with herself as she remained silent.

Gohan landed gently in front of the large doors and gave a quick knock, a moment later Trunks opened the door.

"Hey guys, mom is just getting the regeneration chamber ready for Videl, it should be ready when we get there" the young boy said with a grin as he moved to allow the two teens to walk into the house.

"Thanks buddy" Videl said with a smile, watching the young boy blush and quickly close the door behind them.

"Did you want something to eat before you go into the chamber?" Gohan questioned to Videl, his stomach letting out a low growl as he moved.

Videl let a laugh escape her lips, "are you asking for my benefit or yours?" She questioned watching a blush creep to Gohans cheeks.

"I might be a little hungry" Gohan said quietly as he walked into the kitchen, noticing a few other people were sitting in the kitchen.

"Gohan, Videl you're back!" Goten exclaimed as Gohan set Videl on to a chair gently. As soon as Gohan stepped away from Videl Goten floated up and gave Videl a hug.

Videl winced lightly at the force of the kids hug, but happily returned it, "hey squirt, it hasn't been that long" she said with a laugh.

"I know, but you worried me being gone…but you were with my big brother so I guess you were safe" he mused.

"You guess she was safe?" Gohan questioned as he took part of his costume off, revealing all his facial features.

"Well, I am stronger then you" Goten said with a grin as he puffed out his chest having his older brother roll his eyes in response.

"Ou want sumfng edel?" Goku questioned as he shovelled food into his mouth.

"Gou don't be a pig" Chi Chi yelled from behind the counter. She dried her hands off on a towel and gave Videl a smile, "what he means to say is would you like something to eat hun?" She questioned with a gentle smile.

Videl let a blush creep to her cheeks, "actually…do we have any chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream?" she asked.

"I believe we do" Chi Chi said as she moved about the kitchen, grabbing a bowl and a tub of ice cream then a minute later handing Videl a bowl and a spoon. "Eat up, you haven't eaten in a few days, and you can see that you've lost weight".

"Actually I thought I had lost a little weight too, I guess that's what happens when you don't eat for few days in the hospital" she mused as she quickly dug into her bowl of ice cream.

As she ate Chi Chi handed Gohan a large plate of food and he followed her lead, quickly devouring his large mountain of food.

"I didn't realize I was so hungry until now" Gohan said between mouthfuls, "this is delicious mom" he said once again, taking a big gulp of water then shoving more food into his mouth.

"Thank you sweetie, and don't talk with your mouthful, you're not a pig" Chi Chi scolded gently as she sat beside her husband and stirred her tea and took a bite into her sandwich.

Everyone ate in relative silence for the next few minutes. Videl put her bowl down and heaved a sigh "I love chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream" she said with a smile as she put her now empty bowl down.

"Good, we need to get some food in you and if it has to be ice cream then so be it" Chi Chi said as she wiped the crumbs off of her and took another sip of her tea.

"Well on the bright side ice cream has dairy and sugars which will give you body carbohydrates…which is what you haven't been in taking the past few days. So this works" Gohan said as he finished up his last plate of food.

Videl opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by two voices. "Oh good sweetie you've eaten something" Aaliyah said with a smile as she came and gently gave her daughter a hug from behind.

"I ate a bowl of ice cream" Videl said with a sheepish smile as Aaliyah released her from the hug.

"Well, it's good that you guys are together, Gohan the regeneration tank is ready for her if you'd like to bring her to it with me" Bulma stated, grabbing a banana from the counter and then pulling mayonnaise out from the fridge.

Gohan paused for a moment then gave a disgusted look as he watched Bulma pull out a spoon and start piling mayo on her banana. "Yea, I'll bring her up" he said, looking away in disgust.

Videl gave Gohan a curious look for a moment and then looked towards Bulma and let a laugh escape her lips as she watches Bulma eat her mayo banana, "what's the matter Gohan, not hungry anymore?" Videl questioned with a laugh as Bulma smirked.

"No, my appetite seems to have gone away for the time being" he replied politely.

Bulma's smirk grew into one that was very similar to her husbands, "now you know how we feel when you guys pig out. It's disgusting, at least mine I can't help" Bulma stated, taking another bite of her mayo banana.

"But Bulma, we can't help how hungry we are…it's in our blood and you can't fight genetics" Goku stated Gohan gave him a grin at his defence.

"Whatever, Vide, are you ready sweetie?" Bulma questioned.

"I guess so…what do I have to do?" She questioned as she pulled her slightly dirty hair out of her pony tail and then retied it; it had been a few days since she'd been able to have a shower after all so it was only natural.

"Nothing really, you sit in the chamber, I'll give you something so you'll sleep, then we put an air mask on you and as you sleep the tank fills up with liquid which will be absorbed into your body to replenish your fluid loss and speed up healing of your cuts and bruises. Then we'll give you a senzu bean and you'll be good as new" Bulma said proudly as she threw her banana peel into the garbage.

"So I'm going to be asleep and in a tank of liquid? What fluids does it replenish out of curiosity?" Videl questioned, a strange sense of uncertainty coming over her.

"By fluids I mean mainly blood, any blood loss you occurred takes a few weeks for the body to naturally reproduce, however this liquid will replace it all everything within an hour or so. It will also flush any bacterial toxins out that may be lingering on in any cuts or whatever. You will be asleep in the tank, and when you wake up I promise you'll feel like you've just stepped out of a bath" Bulma said, smiling at the teenager to help ease her nervousness.

"Alright, let's get this over with them" Videl said with a sigh as she turned to face Gohan. She gave Gohan a big grin and held out her hands, "sweetie could you help me please?".

Gohan laughed lightly, "how could I say no to that?" he questioned as he moved gently and once again picked her up bridal style and followed Bulma once he was ready.

"Nom Videl, any time the boys go in there they wear a bathing suit, did you want to do the same or just wear the hospital gown" Bulma asked as she led the way through the hall ways, her lab coat flowing gently behind her.

"Actually, I think I'll wear a bathing suit, I want to get out of this hospital gown, I feel exposed" She replied.

Bulma nodded in response, "alright, Gohan will drop you off in the changing room nearby; I grabbed a suit earlier for you just in case. Do you think you can change by yourself?" she said, taking a quick glance back at the couple.

"Yea I should be fine so long as I'm seated, but I'll need help getting back up…my legs don't seem to want to work for me" she replied sheepishly.

"That's fine hun…Gohan put her in that room please" she commented, pointed to a small dressing room.

Gohan did as he was told and closed the door behind him to give Videl her privacy.

"It's quite amazing when you think about it…a year ago she wouldn't dare get into a bathing suit in front of anyone, and no she's willing to sit in a tank where people can clearly see her in it" Bulma mused as she pushed some of her hair out of her face.

"It is amazing…I'm very glad for her transformation though" Gohan stated quietly.

"You did good kid, you did good" Bulma said as she gently rubbed Gohans broad shoulder.

A moment later a soft knock came from behind the door, "you ready V?" Gohan called. He heard a muffled yes and opened the door and gently picked her up in his arms.

"Alright kiddo, place her on the seat in the tank. Don't worry Videl, the fluid that will be around you is nice and warm, very relaxing…it'll be like taking a bath really. But unlike a bath, when you wake up from being in this tank your bruises should be gone, meaning that lovely shiner of yours will be gone" she said with a smile as Videl returned it.

"Thank god, I'm so sore and my eye among other things is killing me" she said with a groan as Gohan bent down and gently placed her onto the chamber seat. "So how am I being put to sleep again?" She questioned as she examined the inside of the chamber.

"The oxygen mask, we'll put some gas in there to make you a little sleepy then provide you with oxygen while you sleep, no need to worry I promise hun, just relax" Bulma explained with a comforting smile.

Videl gave a nod and then cast a glance to Gohan. "Don't worry sweetie, I've been in here a hundred times, just relax, it'll all be over soon" Gohan said with a smile as he moved forward and gently kissed her lips.

Videl felt herself instantly relax when Gohans lips touched hers and her lips curled into a smile against his. "Alright hun, I'll see you in a little while" she replied with a smile.

"Don't worry hun, it'll only be an hour and a half or so" Bulma said as she hooked the face mask on to Videl and moved her hair out of the way. She then moved back and pulled the glass covering down and locked it in place. She turned to Videl and gave her a questioning look.

Videl gave a nod and thumbs up to both Gohan and Bulma and Bulma returned the nod in response. Bulma then pushed a few button on the machine and seconds later Videl felt a soothing liquid quickly filling up into the tank.

The liquid was really warm, not scolding hot, but the kind of temperature you'd make it for a relaxing shower. Videl looked out at the two standing outside of the chamber and noticed Gohan was staring at her and Bulma was motioning for her to inhale deeply.

Videl gave a nod in response and took a few deep inhales and felt her eyes getting heavy. She then let out a comfortable sigh and felt her eyes close and sleep over take her as the liquid now filled up the entire chamber.

Bulma waited until Videl was asleep and checked the vitals that were appearing on the screen in front of her, she then pressed another button to turn off the gas and replaced it with oxygen. She looked up and glanced at Videl and sighed, "I wish I could have my body like that back" she said as Gohan laughed in response, but still kept his eyes on Videl.

"She'll be in there for a little while kiddo…you look exhausted, maybe you should go and take a nap or something?" Bulma suggested as she moved to rub the tired looking Gohans back.

"Actually now that you mention it I am kind of tired. Maybe I'll just go up to my room and watch some TV which I wait for her to finish in the tank" he said as he kept staring blankly at his girlfriend.

"Good idea, now go and rest kiddo" Bulma said as she pushed Gohan towards his bedroom.

Gohan gave Bulma a wave and walked silently up to his bedroom. He moved and lay down on the crisp blankets and flopped down on them. He grabbed his remote control and turned on the TV. He stared at it blankly for a short while and quickly felt his body growing drowsy with each passing minute. Before he knew it he felt his eyes growing heavier and finally he just let them closed where he happily welcomed sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

Alright guys that's it! I know, nothing too exciting, it's more filler for the next few chapters. Anyways please read and review and lemme know what you think or any suggestions. Again I apologize for the wait, but again if I can get 10 reviews, then I'll post again within the next two weeks.

Thanks, read and review guys, thanks! Sorry again =( Good news though, Monday is my last class…AND I even avoided writing my essay so I could get this written, up and posted! Enjoy!


	23. The Road to Partial Recovery

Hey guys, I'm so sorry about the delay, I've had so much on the go that it's nuts. I'm going to try and work on chapter 24 and hopefully get it up as soon as I'm able to, but I won't make promises give my hectic schedule. I do hope you'll all forgive me for the delay and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's not a super exciting chapter, it's more just preparing for the next chapter, which I'm going to attempt to make an interesting one. But we'll cross that bridge when it comes. So I hope you all forgive me and I hope you all enjoy this chapter and review! I absolutely love hearing from you guys and it's so motivating to hear what you all have to say. Reviews are absolutely loved!

Chapter 23: Road to Partial Recovery

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world… She took the midnight train going anywhere!" She sang as she danced around the spacious living room.

"You shouldn't be dancing around like that at 7 months, what if you induce labour?" Chi Chi said from her spot at the door way, interrupting the pregnant woman's dancing.

"Sorry Chi Chi" the woman said sheepishly as she flopped onto the couch and pouted, now feeling as though she had nothing to do with her day.

"Just rest, here, I brought you some toast and crackers" Chi Chi said as she laid a plate beside the pouting pregnant woman.

She mumbled a thank you as Chi Chi walked out of the room. She lifted the plate and placed it on her swollen belly and began to eat the toast. A few minutes later she removed the plate and placed a cracker on her belly and stared intently. A few seconds later the cracker quickly slid off her belly.

"That's it! The baby wants me to move!" she exclaimed as she bounced onto her feet and quickly moved to turn up the music.

"Don't stop, believin'…hold on to that feeeeeelin'!" She yelled at the top of her lungs as she started moving around again, dancing to the beat of journey.

"Videl! What did I tell you!" an angry Chi Chi yelled as she came into the room.

Vide quickly turned around to face her mother in law, unfortunately as she turned, her swollen belly knocked over a lamp and broke it.

Videl cheeks quickly became a dark shade of red, "I'm so sorry Chi Chi…I guess I'm not completely aware of my size yet" she said sheepishly as she bent down and started picking up large pieces of glass.

Chi Chi heaved a sigh as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, "you're like a dog with a cone on his head" she muttered. "Don't you touch that glass, you'll cut yourself" she said as she moved to get a broom and dust pan.

Before Videl could respond another two voices entered the house.

"I'm just saying if the moon disappears when the sun rises, who's to say it's not the same person? That's what Bra told me anyways" Goku said as he walked into the living room from outside.

"She told you that? Was she being serious or was she smirking?" The younger voice responded.

"She was smirking, but I just thought she was happy to have me around; she is Bulma's daughter so you know she's smart" Goku said thoughtfully as he scratched his head.

"Oh dad" the younger man said with a sigh. As the two men stood where the women were on the floor, the younger one started laughing.

"She knocked over another lamp? I think she's broken 2 lamps and knocked over a plant back at our house" he said as Goku joined in the laughter.

"Shut up!" Videl quickly snapped as she stood up to her feet, with the help of the couch behind her.

"Don't worry hun, you'll be small again soon enough, you're in the home stretch" Chi Chi said as she quickly examined the floor to make sure she got all the glass.

"It's so weird…from the back you can't even tell I'm pregnant…then from the front I look like I'm about to pop" Videl said with a pout as she sat on the couch and started biting her nails. "Having a big belly is such a weird feeling".

"I think for a pregnant woman, you look spectacular" Gohan said with a smile. "Sweetie, eat an apple not your nails" he said he rubbed an apple on his shirt and handed it to his wife.

"She's kicking" Videl said nonchalantly as she ran her hand through her hair and took a bite out of her apple.

Gohan quickly moved over to her and placed his hand on her belly. He loved feeling the kicking inside of Videl's belly. "That is such an amazing feeling" he said quietly.

Videl gave a small snort in response, "it's not such an amazing feeling when you're trying to sleep and she's practicing kick boxing with my stomach".

Goku came over and placed her ear on her belly and listened intently. A moment lately he quickly jumped back with a shocked look on his face. "She's a fighter that's for sure" he said as he rubbed the side of his face and gave Videl's stomach a small glare.

"Do you really think you'll be able to hold that glare to her when she's born Goku?" Videl asked with a grin, knowing that there would be no way Goku would ever give a dirty look to his soon to be granddaughter.

"Only if she deserves it" he said as the younger couple laughed at him.

"Dad, you're going to spoil her rotten, let's face it. If she wants a tea party, you'll be the first one there" Gohan said as he gently stroked his wife's belly protectively.

"I think it's cute. Don't be embarrassed Goku, Gohan is going to be the exact same way" Videl said as Gohan blushed a little.

"I can't wait till she's here" Goku said as he watched the younger couple, smiling with pride.

"It's almost over…it's almost over" a voice repeated, the voice growing fainter and fainter each time it repeated it.

Heavy eyes gently opened, only to quickly close tightly. 'Right, I forgot' a drowsy Videl thought to herself as she felt herself waking up inside of the regeneration tank.

A moment later she heard a loud beeping noise and felt the warm liquid quickly draining from the tank. She once again opened her eyes and raised her hands so she could wipe the liquid out of them. She looked down at her feet and noticed the liquid was had pretty much completely drained out of the tank.

She took a moment to gather her senses and then took the breathing mask off of her face and reached out and grabbed the latch to open the glass chamber door. She slowly pushed herself off the bench and felt herself lose her stability a bit. She stumbled out of the tank and laid on the ground for a moment as she attempted to collect her bearings.

'This is the weirdest feeling ever' she thought to herself as she slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position against the tank. She felt a little disoriented and unstable. She simply stayed in her seated position for a few minutes when she then started to feel herself returning to normal. She then once again made another attempt to stand, this time having more success than her first try.

She steadied herself against the tank then took a moment to look at her body. "Wow" she muttered as she stared at her body; the swelling in her knee was nonexistent, her ankle looked normal and most of her cuts and bruises had appeared to have healed. She reached up and gently touched her left eye, once again surprised to feel none of the previous swelling and noticed that she could open and close it without wincing any more.

She leaned back to stretch, she felt good, but was still a little sore and pretty stiff. She looked around and noticed that a towel had been left on a little table beside the main programming unit of the tank and noticed a note had been left beside it.

"Videl, if I'm not there when you're finished, here's a towel for you to dry off with, as well as a senzu bean to heal you completely. Hope you're feeling much better; love Bulma" she read out loud as she noticed the small bean where the note had been previously placed. She grabbed the bean and popped it in her mouth and began to chew the hard bean then quickly swallowed it.

A moment later her eyes opened wide and a grin graced her feature, "those beans are incredible!" she exclaimed happily as she jumped up and down to test her body and noticed not a bit of pain or stiffness was lingering. She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her frame and quickly moved down the halls until she recognized her location so she could find her designated room.

After ten minutes of wondering she finally realized where she was and quickly moved into her room. She dried herself off on the towel and quickly grabbed a pair of plain black track pants and a royal blue tank top. She moved her way into the bathroom and stared at the reflection that greeted her. She leaned closer and grinned once again as she examined her completely healed eye.

Anxious to greet everyone in her fully healed form she dried her hair with the blow dryer, happy that it was clean once again and put a little bit of mascara on her already dark, long eye lashes and made a quick dash out of her room.

She was so excited that she was fully mobile again, less than two hours ago she couldn't even hold up her own weight and now here she was, racing through the large home to eagerly greet her family and friends.

She took a moment to extend her senses and try and figure out where everyone was; the family room, she noticed. She once again quickened her pace towards the family room, practically giddy with excitement to greet them all.

She quickly skidded to a halt when she reached the family room. She took a moment to straighten herself out when she walked through the large doors. She looked puzzled for a moment then had to bite her lip in an attempt not to laugh at the sight she was seeing.

Vegeta was scribbling a figure onto a large piece of white paper while Goku attempted to guess what it was.

"A bunny! It's a bunny! Bunny? Bunny, it's a bunny!" he exclaimed excitedly as Vegeta continued to fiercely scribble onto the paper.

"Time!" Bulma chimed with a grin as she watched her now angry husband throw the marker.

"Damn it Kakarot, if it wasn't a bunny the first three times why the hell would it be the next ten times? God I hate playing games with you!" Vegeta fumed as he pushed the board with the white paper over and stormed out of the room through the other door.

"It's always interesting playing games with our group" muttered Krillin from his spot on the floor. Obviously in the time that Videl had been in the regeneration tank, he and his family had made another appearance at Bulma's large house.

Vide stepped forward from her spot out of view and cleared her throat, "I actually find these types of get together's to be quite entertaining" she said with a large grin on her face as she surprised people of the room quickly turned around.

"My baby girl, you're better!" Aaliyah exclaimed as she jumped up from her spot on the couch and quickly embraced her daughter.

"How are you feeling hun?" Bulma asked as she nursed her cup of tea from her spot on a plush chair.

"I feel good as new thanks to you, it's like nothing happened to me" she said with a big grin as she gave the older woman a thumbs up.

"Gohan's going to be so relieved" Chi Chi said with a smile as she watched Aaliyah check over her once beaten daughter.

"Speaking of him…where is he?" she questioned as she looked around the room and noticed it was only the adults in the room.

"I think he took a nap shortly after you went into the tank, he looked exhausted" Goku answered as he quickly snagged a cookie from a large platter that was lying on the coffee table.

"That's precisely what he did; I told him to get some sleep, poor boy was completely drained, he should still be in his room if you want to go see him" Bulma answered again, gently blowing on the hot liquid.

"Awesome thanks guys, I'm going to go say hi to him and let him know I'm back to normal" Videl said with a smile as she offered them all a small wave and quickly exited the room. She was eager to see Gohan; he had stayed by her and been so concerned about her she wanted nothing more than to show him she was back to normal.

"Bulma, you are one miracle worker" Bulma said with a smirk on her face as she watched the younger teen run out of the room.

"And as modest as Mother Teresa" Chi Chi muttered sarcastically as her pregnant friend stuck her tongue out at her.

"I'm so glad that she's better now" Aaliyah said with a content sigh as she grasped Yamcha's hand.

"She only better physically…I can't imagine how she is mentally" Yamcha said as they all stared at the empty space where Videl had occupied.

"I think now that Hercule is dead, she won't be so afraid" Goku said, a concerned look gracing his features.

"She seems to be susceptible to nightmares, I hope she'll tell us if they're occurring" Bulma responded quietly as silence fell in the room of the group of friends.

"Anyone want to play go fish?" Krillin said, effectively ending the silence.

~*~ Meanwhile~*~

"Where am I?" Gohan pondered out loud as he looked at the looked around and noticed he was in a black abyss. "Swear to god I have the weirdest dreams" he muttered to himself as he attempted to figure out his surroundings. He was startled by the shouting of a woman

"She did it" the female yelled

"She deserves to die" a man yelled

"Who are you talking about?" Gohan questioned only to have his question fall on deaf ears.

"Cut her throat!" another man passionately exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?!" Gohan yelled in the direction the previous voice came from.

"Shoot her!" a woman said sternly.

"One potato, two potato, three potato four, give me ten minutes and Videl will be dead on the floor"

"Videl…you don't touch her!" He screamed at the abyss where the random voices were coming from.

A feminine giggle was then heard, "I'm so glad we got through everything together" the woman said

"I'll always be here for you" a male voice replied. A bright flash was then emitted and Gohan was now taken into a strange room. He looked outside and noticed a crystal clear blue sky; he appeared to be in a living room, one that he didn't recognize.

He heard the feminine giggle again and turned towards the direction it came from. He saw large backdoor windows that were opened and a large wooden balcony leading outwards. He moved towards the doors and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the suns bright light.

He looked around and realized that he was now on a large wooden balcony that was overlooking a large clear body of water. In the distance he could see white rocks surrounding a beautiful beach with lush, green trees and exotic flowers surrounding it.

"Palugia?" the woman questioned.

"Uhh…not quite" a man replied.

Gohan turned towards the voices and noticed a large beige hammock tied securely up on two trees.

"It's pronounced Pug-le-oh" the male said again.

"Puglia" she repeated.

"There you go; I knew you'd get it eventually"

"It's so beautiful here; this is absolutely perfect, right down to the weather" the woman said.

Gohan rubbed the back of his neck feeling awkward. 'I don't know why I'm going to do this, they probably aren't going to hear me' he thought to himself, as he was getting ready to clear his throat to announce his presence he was started by the man getting up.

"I'm going to get a drink, you want anything?" He asked as the woman said no.

The man stood up and turned around and gave Gohan a grin. "We must stop meeting like this" he said with a laugh.

Gohan stared at the man standing in front of him wearing only shorts and sunglasses. "Me?!" he questioned loudly as his dream self gave a laugh.

"You got it bro, good to see you again, how've you been? You look tired. V look who's here!" He commented as the woman now swung her legs around the side of the hammock.

The woman extended her toned legs as she steadied herself on the wooden balcony. She stood up and grinned at Gohan. "What a pleasant surprise, hello gorgeous" she said as she adjusted the aviator glasses on her face.

Gohan felt himself blush and looked downwards as Videl grinned at him. She walked up beside his future self and pushed her glasses once again up on her nose. She stood there in a black bikini and navy blue flip-flops with the sunglasses that appeared to be a little large on her face.

"We were going to go swimming, wanna come?" she said as she moved her glasses and gave him a wink.

"You're flirting with another man on our honeymoon?" his future self questioned, a surprised look on his face.

"I'm flirting with you" she replied.

"No, you're flirting with him" he said.

"Which is you" she said as she raised an eyebrow.

"No I'm me" he replied, confusion now evident in his voice.

"Alright Gohan, I'm cheating on you with you, there's no other way of saying it" she said as she took off her glasses and gave him a funny look.

"I…wait, what?" he questioned as he scratched the back of his head.

"Uhh…I'm sorry to interrupt you, but why am I here?" the younger Gohan asked, interrupting their newlywed bickering.

"Right, sorry" the older Gohan said sheepishly.

"We just wanted to let you know, that you're almost in the clear" Videl said as she leaned closer to Gohan and in response he wrapped his arm around her.

"Rough week huh?" older Gohan questioned.

Gohan simply nodded his head in response, unsure of what to make of what was going on.

The older Gohan gave a sympathetic smile, "I remember that week, just trust me, soon enough you'll be smiling" he said as he held Videl closer to him.

"We brought you here just to tell you… you're almost through" Then blackness surrounded Gohan.

~*~Mean while~*~

After a few minutes of quickened paced jogging Videl in front of Gohan door. She was so excited to see him that she didn't even knock on the door she just walked in and saw that Gohan was indeed curled up in the large bed sound asleep. She moved slowly to the bed and crawled on and moved closer to her boyfriend. She pushed herself up on to her elbows and leaned forward and gently kissed his cheek.

She received a small groan in response and did it again. She could see he was starting to stir so she moved and wrapped her arms around his chest and proper her head on his shoulder. She watched him closely; his eyes slowly began to open as his surrounding began to sink in.

"Have a nice nap sunshine?" she whispered as she watched his eyes open quickly as she greeted him with a smile.

"Videl! You're….uh?" he muttered as he reached an arm up to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

"Not your best sentence, but I'll let it slide as you've been through a lot. I'm all better" she said with a giggle as she reached up and gently touched his cheek.

"I just had the weirdest….Videl, you're all better!" he said as he sat up abruptly and looked at his girlfriend. "Quick, jump up and down" he said as he received a weird look.

"I think you've been hanging around with Master Roshi a little too much lately" she said as she gave him a funny look.

Gohan blushed in response, "I wanted to make sure you were all better" he said as he looked away.

Videl moved off his bed, she turned and went on her tip-toes and walked a few feet forward, twirled and walked back to the bed and sat down and gave him a grin. "Not a sore muscle on me" she responded, letting her smile grow.

"I'm so relieved" he said excitedly as he quickly moved over to her and embraced her in a tight hug. "I've been so worried about you" he whispered into her hair.

Before Videl could respond she felt Gohan quickly press his lips against hers and capture her in a passionate kiss. A few moments later he pulled away slowly and leaned his head against her forehead.

"I missed you too" she said quietly as she leaned up and gave him a quick gentle kiss.

"Bulma is a miracle worker eh?" he said with a grin as he held Videl in a tight embrace.

"I was impressed; I couldn't believe how great I felt. Not a scratch on me!" she exclaimed proudly.

"Let's go tell everyone else" Gohan said as he quickly got off the bed and started to pull her towards the door.

"I actually saw all the other adults, that's how I knew where to find you" she said with a laugh.

"Have you seen Goten yet?" he questioned as she shook her head no in response. "Hmm… he appears to be with my parents and everyone else. Come on, he'll be really happy to see you" he said as he grasped her hand and started to lead her down the hallways.

With Gohans guidance they quickly found their way to the family room and noticed that everyone appeared to be watching a news broadcast.

"Police have neither confirmed nor denied that Videl Satan was the one who shot and killed her father. A few of our sources have suggested that it was done in self defence and the police are probing all possibilities but have yet to deliver any hard, concrete facts to the public. We'll keep you posted with more updates as we receive them. But with the news of the death of our town's hero, people are reacting in many different ways. As you can see on our screen many people have started to light candle light vigils, some people have taken a more hostile approach, threatening our dear teenage city saviour" The blond woman said as the screen now showed a large group of people.

"I think we should shoot that Satan girl just like she did her father" a man yelled.

"She wouldn't do it without a reason, Hercule obviously provoked it. He's a dirty politician and there's no way someone with Videl's reputation deserves to have her name slandered like you awful people are doing!" a young woman yelled from the side of the screen

"She killed our hero, she deserves to die!" A woman yelled in the back ground.

"If I ever see her... I'll cut her throat!" a man yelled in the background. Police were seen quickly arresting the man and putting him into the back of a police car.

"There you have it folks a whole array of personal perspectives, stay tuned for more updates, and now we go to Jack with the weather!" she said with a smile as the screen now went black.

"Thos idiots couldn't tell an innocent woman from a guilty prick like Hercule if their lives depended on it" Bulma said as she glared at the blank television screen.

"Well, we should be thankful that there are people out there who are willing to protect Videls good name. The police will clear this all up soon enough and the world will know how awful Hercule really was" Krillin said, attempting to calm the angry woman down.

"If anyone tries to hurt her, I'll kick their butts!" Goten exclaimed as he jumped off the couch, a determined look on his face.

Videl had felt her heart drop when she watched the news clip, but felt better hearing her family and friends responses. She knew she could always count on them for support. "Goten I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have protecting me" she said with a smile as she accidently startled the young boy, causing him to fall in surprise.

"Videl! You're better!" he exclaimed happily as he quickly ran up the couch and lunged at her.

Gohan caught Videl as she started to fall backwards from the force of having Goten lunge at her waist and cling on to her for dear life.

"I'm all better squirt" She said with a smile as she hugged him to the best of her ability while he was around her waist.

"I promise I won't let them hurt you Videl. You have my word" he said seriously as he looked up at her. She gave him a smile in response and noticed that tears were starting to well up in his big dark eyes.

"I believe you Goten, I know I'm safe with you" she said gently as she moved him from her waist and propped the small boy up on her hip and hugged him.

"You aren't allowed to do that again…you had me really worried" Goten said quietly as he attempted to hide his tears.

"Hey come on squirt, no reason to be embarrassed. And I will do my best to avoid that happening again; trust me, I got it already from you brother" she said with a laugh as the young boy gave her a smile and hugged her tightly.

"Squirt, I'm really happy to see you, but I really need to breath" she said with a laugh as she coughed at the force the young boy was applying to her.

He apologized sheepishly and Gohan lifted him off of her and put him up on his shoulders.

"I'm happy you're feeling better Videl…but can we eat now, please Chi? You said when they came down we could eat" Goku said with a pout as his wife rolled her eyes.

"Yes Goku, we can eat now" she said as she stood up, everyone now eagerly piling into the dining room.

"Just another ordinary day huh?" Videl said with a smile as Gohan lightly shook his head.

"Yeah...ordinary" Gohan said sarcastically as he gave a laugh and grabbed Videl's hand, eager to joining his family for some food.

~*~Elsewhere~*~

"Alright, please tell me you've got some answers" the balding man said as he took off his hat and wiped sweat off his brow as he entered the lab.

"I'm thinking this looks like a pretty open and closed case chief" a woman said as she lifted her face away from a microscope. She brushed away a strand of her dark brown hair that was hanging in her face as she straightened her lab coat.

"All evidence seems to prove that Videl acted in self defence" she said as she took a sip from her water bottle.

"What would a great man like Hercule do to provoke such anger?" Chief Connell said as he gave the woman a dirty look.

"I've been going through old records, and I must say, he doesn't look like he was such a great man. Did he save the world? Yes, is he the great man the media has talked him up to be, I'm having my doubts" she said as she returned his dirty look.

"Explain yourself" the chief said as he glared at the attractive woman.

The woman returned his glare "for starters all the evidence points to Hercule attacking Videl. The bottle of chloroform only had his prints on it, the bindings has Videl's skin cells all over them as well as Hercules, proving that he tied them to her, his knuckles were covered in her blood, the blood in the bathtub is all Videl's, and the knife had Hercule's prints on it, as well as the broken lamp" she said as she crossed her arms and continued "we've been doing some digging, I believe Hercules's a woman abuser chief" she said as the chief gave her a surprised look.

"Why would you accuse him of such an act? He protects women" he said as the lab technician rolled her dark eyes.

"We've been digging around for evidence and went as far back as Hercule's deceased wife. Videl has had numerous broken bones and wounds that have just been credited to her work with the city. But when we pulled up Aaliyah's file before she died and she wasn't a crime fighter and there are tones of instances where she was brought in for broken occipital bones, dislocated shoulders, broken wrists and numerous cracked and broken ribs. You can only fall into a door knob or down the stairs so many times. No one ever investigated it because it's Hercule. But I bet if we look hard enough, he probably committed her murder as well; again we looked into it, it was barely investigated" she said as she pointed to the evidence laid out on the large table beside her.

"Videl acted in self defence, he attacked her and the evidence clearly proves it. I'm sorry Don, but you're just going to have to accept that the champ was a chump" she said as she once again move a piece of hair away from her face.

"I can see that" he said quietly as he avoided her gaze, "Steph what could cause someone to act like that?" he questioned as he stared at the floor.

"I just investigate the evidence, you go looking" she said as she gave him a weak smile.

"The city will still try and prosecute Videl. With such a high profile case, there's no way people will accept Hercule attacking her, I don't think they'll have much of a case, but you know that they're going to try" he said as he heaved an exasperated sigh as he looked at the pictures that were on the table and picked up a picture of the body of Hercule. "Have we gotten the results back from tox?" he questioned.

Steph shook her head, "no not yet, they found a large bottle of whiskey in his room, so I wouldn't be too surprised if he's got alcohol in his system" she replied.

The captain was jarred out of his thoughts as his phone started to ring, "Chief Connell here…Well D.A. we've found that the evidence corroborates Ms. Satan's story …I understand…well-… alright, we'll conduct interviews see if there's any past abuse… second degree murder? But Sir we-….I understand we will inform her tomorrow. Yes, good bye" he said as he snapped the phone shut.

"Second degree murder? There's no way they'll be able to support that given the evidence, what are they thinking? There's no way that will go" Steph asked.

"I don't know, I think they're banking on the jury to take into account his reputation. We'll have to see how it goes at arraignment. I hate high profile cases" the chief said with a sigh, "thanks Steph, we'll be in touch soon" he said as he gave a nod and walked out of the room.

"This is going to be a long few months" he muttered as put his hat back on and walked out of the lab.

~*~ The Next day~*~ (I wasn't sure what else to write)

Gohan walked into kitchen and noticed his mother and Bulma were hard at work making another meal for the hungry saiyans. "Hey guys" he said as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes.

"Morning sweetie, how'd you sleep?" Chi Chi said as she tried her hands on her apron and handed him a glass of orange juice.

"I slept alright I guess. Videl on the other hand…" he trailed off as he noticed both women now started to pay attention to every word he said, "she's got nightmares, she woke up a few times during the night screaming and crying. I'm worried about her" he said as he took a sip of orange juice and cast a concerned look at the counter in front of him.

"She probably has post traumatic stress disorder. Someone who goes through something that traumatic would be a robot if they didn't" Bulma said as she offered Gohan a weak smile. "It's completely normal Gohan, she will get over it eventually" she said, trying to ease the poor boys mind.

"Do you mind…if we ask what happened to her?" Chi Chi asked quietly from her spot beside the counter.

"I'm actually really curious to know what happened as well" Bulma said as she rubbed her belly and sat up on a chair.

"Alright, don't tell her I told you thought alright? I'm not sure how she feels about her story being shared without her consent" Gohan said as he earned a comforting smile from his mother.

"I promise sweetie this won't leave the room" Chi Chi said as she sat down on a chair beside Bulma.

"Alright, well she already told you guys about how she had been kidnapped right? Well she told me she woke up in her old room, but was bound and gagged by Hercule. She said from there he kicked and slapped her and smacked her head against the wall. She said she remembered throwing up then waking up later, she figures that's when she got the concussion. She said when she woke up Hercule dragged her into the bathroom and had planned on cutting her throat but the door bell rang" he said as he watched the two women's faces drop at the story.

"Talk about saved by the bell" Bulma said quietly as she motioned for Gohan to continue.

"She said she grabbed a disposable razor and broke the blades off and cut her bindings, that's how she got all the cuts on her wrists. She said she managed to break her bindings but slipped getting out of the tub and that alerted Hercule. From there she said he knew he'd be coming up so she hid and when his back was turned to her she slammed a blow dryer into his head and took off" he stated as he took a sip of orange juice again.

"What a smart girl" Chi Chi mused as she stared lankly at the counter, absorbing the details Gohan was revealing.

"He chased her down the hallway attempting to stab her the whole time; that's how her back got all scratched up. She said she slipped rounding the corner and felt the knife that Hercule threw just missed her. She said she ran down the stairs but all of the doors were sealed, and when she tried to make a call the phone service had been disconnected and she noticed luggage by the door. She said she figured he had planned on doing this from the beginning and that he was going to kill her then take off and flee the city. She said she could hear him getting closer so she through quickly and remembered her father always kept a gun in an old den" He said as he was interrupted by Bulma.

"So she went and shot him?" She questioned as Gohan shook his head.

"Not quite, she said she grasped it and went to leave and said as soon as she turned Hercule grabbed her by the throat and held her in the air. She said she was so afraid then before she passed out she realized she had full motion of her legs, so she kicked him between the legs" again, he was cut off.

"Then she shot him?" Chi Chi asked eager to know the rest of the story.

"Not yet, she said he dropped her once she had kicked him and she scrambled to her feet and asked why he was doing this. She said he said she embarrassed him and would pay and threatened to kill her. She said he then came towards her and tried to smash a lamp on her head so to stop him she shot him in the shoulder. She said he called her a whore and from there she just kept shooting at him to stop him. Then she said he dropped to the ground and from there she lost consciousness and woke up in the hospital and found out her father was dead" He said quietly, taking another sip from his glass as he watched the his mother and Bulmas face as they absorbed the story.

"That poor girl…as if she hadn't been through enough" Chi Chi said as she stared blankly in front of her.

"It's no wonder she's having nightmares, the poor girl was tortured and actually managed to survive" Bulma said sadly as she wiped a tear away from her eye. "I'm so sad she had to go through that" she said with a sniffle.

"Just be there for her hun, let her sleep in your room if she needs to" Chi Chi said causing Gohan to blush.

"You…you're not just doing this for grandchildren are you? Because-"he was cut off by Chi Chi's laughter.

"Do I want grandkids some day, absolutely, but I know Videl needs someone and I know you two are smart enough to wait. She needs comfort and you're clearly the best person to give it to her, if she needs to sleep in your room in order to feel safe and protected, I have no right to object" she said, smiling at the surprised look on her sons face.

"I appreciate that mom" he said quietly as the two older women grinned.

"And if grandkids come out of you comforting her then all the better" Bulma grinned as Gohan went red.

"We're just teasing you sweetie, can you round everyone up and tell them breakfast is ready" Chi Chi said, a grin still plastered on her face.

"Sure thing mom" Gohan said with a weak smile and then walked out of the room to let the houses other occupants know that breakfast was ready.

Chi Chi gave a sigh, "my poor boy, he worries like me" she said as she pushed eggs around on a hot pan.

"With all bad comes good, he's just got to be there for him. He clearly loves her and he'll go to the end of the universe if it would make her smile. This series of events can't last long. In fact we know it won't last long, he's got her birthday coming up. We, my dear friend, get to go shopping for girly things!" she exclaimed as the two women started to laugh.

"I sure hope they'll be happy soon enough, those two deserve it after everything they've gone through" Chi Chi said quietly as she left the room to put everything into the dining room.

"I know he'll do whatever it takes to help that poor girl feel better" Bulma said with a smile as she grabbed some food to nibble one before the others could devour it.

~*~ A little while later~*~

A loud ringing was heard throughout the large mansion. "I wonder who that could be." Bulma wondered out loud as she moved her way towards the intercom.

"Capsule Corp, please state your business" she stated as she gave the intercom a funny look.

"Yes, we have reason to believe Ms. Satan is residing here, may we please speak with her?" an older man said from the other side.

"May I ask who this is?" She questioned again, her confusion rising.

"Chief Donald Connell, this pertains to the investigation" he said in a solemn voice.

"Oh alright, I'll have someone let you in and I'll go and get Videl for you" she said as she programmed a robot to go and let the chief in.

She walked away from the intercom and racked her brain in an attempt to figure out what the chief wanted. She wondered aimlessly through the hallways till she noticed Vegeta in the training room and turned off the gravity and walked in.

"What do you want woman?" he questioned as he gave his wife a glare.

"Oh don't give me that, I need your help… can you find Videl for me?" she questioned as she noticed he softened his glare when she said she needed his help.

"Why?" he questioned gruffly.

"The police chief is here and says he needs to speak with Videl about the case. He sounded weird, I've got a bad feeling" she said nervously as she walked up and grasped her hand.

"Follow me" he said quietly as he grasped her hand and lead her through the hallways in silence.

A few minutes later he stopped and pointed to a door. "Thanks sweetie" she said as she gave him a peck on the cheek. She opened the door as Vegeta walked away and saw Gohan, Videl, Goten and Trunks all playing video games.

"You're going down Gohan" Videl said as she bit her lip and vigorously tapped a button on her controller to get her Mario character to fire an attack on one of the other characters.

"Please, you wish!" Gohan said as he quickly moved to evade the attack.

A moment late Videl shoved Gohan, startling him and making him drop his controller, which then hit Goten in the head and caused him to scream in surprise, which in turn scared Trunks.

"I win!" Videl exclaimed triumphantly as she stood up and did her own version of a victory dance.

"You clearly cheated" Gohan said with a pout.

"That's not fair!" Goten said as he stomped his foot and pouted.

"If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen" Videl said with a smirk as she moved a strand of hair out of her face.

"We're not in the kitchen" Goten said with a confused look.

"Don't worry about it squirt" Videl said with a grin.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you guys, but Videl you're needed downstairs" Bulma said as she received confused looks.

"Why?" she questioned curiously.

"The chief says he needs to speak with you with regards to the case of you and your father" she said as she watched Videls eyes go downwards.

"Oh" she said quietly as she numbly stood up and nodded so she could follow Bulma.

A moment later she was surprised by something warm grasping her hand gently.

"I'll go with you V, in case you need the support" Gohan said, offering an encouraging smile. "Alright Bulma, let's get this over with" he said as Bulma nodded in response and led them to the room she had directed the robots to led the chief into.

"Hello chief, I hope you're well" Bulma said politely as she held the door for the two younger couple.

The two walked in and noticed they were in a large room, likely one that Bulma used for business meetings. Videl nervously approached the table and took a seat across from the chief and had Bulma and Gohan take a seat beside her. She bit her lip nervous to hear what the chief had to say, but felt a little better when Gohan gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"There's no easy way to say this…so I'm just going to come right out and say it. Videl…you're being charged with the second degree murder of Hercule Satan" Chief Connell said blankly as he watched the other three peoples mouth drop in surprise.

"A...a murder charge?" Videl questioned blankly as she felt herself start to shake.

"Second degree murder? There's no way she committed that, she was acting in self defence" Gohan yelled in surprise as he slammed his fist on the table.

"I'm aware of this, but this is what the city's district attorney wants to go through with this however" the chief said uncomfortable as two of the three in front of him gave him a glare while Videl stared blankly at the table.

"Videl, the capsule corporation attorneys will take your case. And as our first act we're going to invoke Videl's right to a speedy trial" Bulma said as she stood up, surprising the people around her.

"Videl, sweetie we have the best lawyers money can buy, you will win. That D.A. is just attempting to boost his career by winning a high profile case, but they don't have the means or the evidence to support their claim. Chief, my lawyers will call the city's D.A. and arrange for a preliminary hearing two days from now" Bulma said, her business side now coming out.

"I respect that" the chief said quietly, "We will have to conduct interviews though, including with you two" he said pointing at Gohan and Bulma. "Is there any way you can get in contact with Saiyaman Videl?" he questioned, Videl simply nodded dumbly.

"Excellent, I'll leave you two your business. I will see you all later. I'll arrange for out interview tomorrow or the day after, and the D.A. will be in touch with you soon I'm sure" the chief said as he gave the three a nod.

"My robot will show you out" Bulma said in a serious tone as she nodded to the chief and watched as he was escorted out of the room.

"Second degree murder…" Videl said quietly. She could feel her eyes welling up with tears, "I'm a murderer" she whispered quietly as a tear slowly trickled down her cheek.

"No, no you're not" Gohan said sternly as he grasped her hand tighter.

"Videl, Gohan is right; you are in no way a murderer. You were defending your life; you acted the same way anyone else would if they were in your position. This guy is just a kid; he's trying to scare you in hopes of copping a plea bargain. He gets that his career will be made with such a high profile case. But he's got no chance of winning; absolutely no evidence supports the murder charge. I'll set you up with nothing but the best sweetie, you're going to be alright and this will be over sooner than later. By evoking your right to a speedy trial, instead of dragging a trial out over a few months, we'll get this over with in a few weeks. We'll meet them in two days and go from there" she said as she moved to embrace the young woman.

"I promise that we'll get through this" she said as she pulled the girl to her feet, and tried to shake her out of her daze.

"Videl, Bulma is right; once they do the interview with us, we can testify to the abuse Hercule put you through, and the evidence supports everything you said" Gohan said, attempting to offer Videl a comforting smile, but noticed she wasn't acknowledging him.

"Look Videl, I'll call my top girl now, you'll love her and I'll have her come over within the hour and she'll talk to you and will help make you realize that they prosecution stands no chance" Bulma said as she pulled out her cell phone.

"Gohan, take Videl and go relax, go for a swim. I'll call you two when the lawyer gets here" Bulma said as Gohan nodded.

"Come on V, we're gonna go and relax in the hot tub" Gohan said as he grasped Videls hand gently and led her out of the room.

Bulma watched the couple walk out of the room then took on a serious look as she scrolled through her contact list and pressed the button to make the call. She waited for a moment then heard an answer on the phone, "Karie? I need you to get here as soon as possible you're going to take on the Satan case. When can you get here? An hour and a half? Perfect, I'll see you soon. Thanks again, bye" she said as she snapped her phone shut.

"They don't stand a chance" she said with a confident smirk.

~*~ A little while later~*~

Videl sat in the warm water, allowing her body to relax as her mind reeled, 'what if Bulma's lawyer doesn't win? What if I get arrested for murder?' she thought to herself as she stared blankly at the bubbling water in front of her, oblivious to everything around her, including the music in the background.

"Videl, you have nothing to worry about, Bulma will make sure that you aren't wrongfully charged. You need to try and take your mind off of things" Gohan said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head.

"I can't help it…I'm being charged with second degree murder" she said quietly, a blank expression still on her face. "What if we lose?" she asked quietly.

"We won't lose everything back up your story completely. If for some reason you are charged, then we'll appeal because they clearly made their judgements based on biased opinions. We will get through this" he said with a smile as he turned her to face him so he could give her a comforting smile. "Just believe we will" he said, kissing her cheek gently.

"My life is a series of unfortunate events" she muttered as she avoided eye contact.

"Was a series of unfortunate events, I promise you" he said as he moved her chin to make her look him in the eyes, and then gave her a kiss in attempt to reassure her.

"I guess" she said quietly as she leaned back against the side of the hot tub.

"You want to know something V?" he questioned, a mischievous grin on his face.

"What?" she questioned.

"Did you know that is started on the real world?" He questioned, his grin never fading.

"Excuse me?" she questioned, arching an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah, a hot tub full of hot girls" he said as he stood up in the tub, "grinding every frat boy and freak" he stated as he thrust his hips in the air a few times for good effect.

"What on earth are you talking about?" she questioned as she watched him to an assortment of dance moves as he continued speaking.

"So everybody dance and everybody sing, if you wanna go far if you wanna be a star yea we can swing it; cha-ching! When you take off all your clothes, and strike your playboy pose if you wanna go far if you wanna be a star then you gotta bring it. Cha-ching!" He sung again as he pulled Videl up so she was standing and started dancing, encouraging her to join him.

Videl joined Gohan, a small smile on her face as she started dancing in the hot tub with him. She now realized that he was singing the Hedley song that was playing in the background and pressed the volume button to turn it up

Gohan leaned forward and stuck him bum out as he sang the next part of the song, "everybody stop and stare Kardashian's ass is everywhere, if you missed it, watch TMZ" he sang as he shook his bum vigorously earning a laugh from Videl.

"Pretending to be lesbians-"he was cut off by someone turning the music off and speaking.

"Gohan, I had no idea you had the ability to shake your booty like that" Bulma said with a grin as the woman beside her was covering her mouth laughing, as was Videl.

"I didn't know you were there" He said dumbly as his face went bright red. At Gohans less then intelligent response, Videl cracked up laughing as she watched Gohan slowly sink back into the hot tub in an attempt to hide himself.

The woman beside Bulma now started laughing as well, "It's alright, I do that same kind of dance when I hear that song…although I don't think I'm as entertaining as you are" the woman said with a grin.

"It was pretty entertaining" Videl said with a large grin as she gave Gohan a wink, causing him to go a deeper shade of red.

"As much as I'd love to mock Gohan more, we should get down to business" Bulma said, drawing the attention away from Gohan, "Videl, this is Karie, she's going to be your lawyer" she said with a smile as the woman beside her gave them a smile and a wave.

Gohan and Videl now turned their full attention to Karie and studied her, she was a young looking woman, maybe mid-twenties, likely Videl's height, she had shoulder length medium dirty blond hair, bright blue eyes with long lashes and a big smile on her face. She wore a black skirt with high heeled shoes, white tank top, and a navy blue zip up shirt announcing the hockey league she played on. Neither Videl nor Gohan knew what to quite make of Karie.

"Don't let her young looks and unusual dress fool you, she's smarter then she looks" Bulma said as Karie gave her a funny look.

"Thanks…I think?" She said as she gave her employer a weird look, "I know I look a little off, I must admit, I haven't done laundry yet" she said sheepishly as she laughed at herself.

Gohan and Videl still looked blankly at the young woman in front of them, unsure of what to make of her.

She gave the two teenagers a warm smile as she leaned down and took her heels off, revealing that she was only about 5'3 in height. Once she had taken both shoes off she walked over to the hot tub, located a dry area and sat down on the edge of the tub, letting her feet and calves be submerged in the warm water.

"My name, as introduce by Mrs. Briefs, is Karie. I'm going to presume that you're Videl, and you're Gohan" she said as she gave the both a smile and shook their hand.

"Hi…" Videl said slowly as she observed this young woman's behaviour. Never in her life had she seen a lawyer that was wearing a fancy skirt, a tank top and an athletic zip up, and to top that off she had never seen one so casually take her shoes off and sit in the hot tub with them. 'This girl seems a little unorthodox' she thought to herself as she gave her a funny look. She looked over at Gohan and noticed he had the same look on his face and assumed he was probably thinking something similar.

"She's a little weird, but I promise, she does incredible work" Bulma said as she pulled up a chair near the hot tub and relaxed into it.

"I'm not weird, you're just too normal" Karie said as she flashed Bulma a smile. "Alright, let's get some business taken care of" she said as her face went from a warm welcoming one to a serious expression.

"I've spoken with the D.A and told him this is a pathetic attempt at a career boost, but he remains undeterred, which is no matter to us, he doesn't stand a chance. I've gotten some evidence fazed over and I've reviews it, and I'm getting the rest of evidence faxed over to my house as we speak. Bulma briefed, no pun intended my lady, on your story and from what I've seen with the evidence, and your story is completely backed up by it. Tomorrow we'll meet up with the district attorney and meet the judge where you will plead not guilty and we will make your trial date. I've already informed the D.A. that we're exercising your right to a speedy trial so it may start as soon as a week and a half from now. MR. Gohan I will be conducting an interview with you, I look forward to hearing your side of the story and getting to know you; from what I've heard you're just a darling person. Don't be surprise Gohan when the police want to interview you, it's just to get evidence on Videl's abused background, which I was quite sorry to hear about. Bulma gave me information on the beatings she treated over a year ago and all that documented evidence will be sent over to the prosecutor's office as well so we can start to prove that you are indeed an abuse victim. I must warn your Videl, they may want to do a psychiatric exam, just be forewarned" she said as she stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

"I think that's it!" she said in bubbly voice as she smiled at the two of them.

"If you don't mind my asking…how old are you?" Gohan asked slowly.

She flashed him a smile, "26" she said proudly.

"She's been working for before about a year and a half, two years now" Bulma mused as the other two looked surprised.

"And I've been happy ever since Mrs. Briefs gave me the opportunity" she said with a grin.

"But anyways, did you want to get down to interview today, or would you rather do it tomorrow either before or after the preliminary hearing with the D.A.?" she questioned.

"Let's do it tomorrow" Bulma said, she was silenced by the sound of a phone ringing.

Karie held up a finger to tell them she'd b one moment then reached into her tank top and pulled out a cell phone, "hello? Yes…ok…ok…alright cool…we'll be there. Bye" she said as she snapped her phone shut.

She gave a laugh, "sorry, no secure pockets in these clothes, breasts, they're good for many things!" She said with a laugh. "That was the D.A. we're going to meet up with him at the courthouse, at 3 pm tomorrow afternoon. Judge Novak will be residing; she's pretty good, she doesn't let the fact that someone a celebrity cloud her judgement" she said as she stood up from her spot on the side of the hot tub.

"I'll come here tomorrow at 2 and we'll all go to the court house together. I look forward to getting to know you all better" she said as she put her high heeled shoes on over her wet feet. She gave a wave "I'll show myself out Mrs. Briefs, take care guys!" She said with a smile as she waved and walked out of the large swimming area.

The three of them watched her silently; they watched as Karie walked, her foot slipped out of her shoe due to being still wet and listened as she gave a giggle in response and walk out of the door.

"She's going the wrong way" Bulma said with a sigh.

A few moments later Karie appeared in the door way and gave them a smile and a wave, "wrong way!" she said as she walked the other way, her heels clicking down the hallway.

Silence filled the room, "are you sure she knows what she's doing?" Videl questioned nervously. Karie certainly seemed nice, but she seemed a little flighty.

"I know what you're thinking, I swear I thought the same thing when I first met her, but I was curious about her. I promise you, she's a hell of a lot smarter then she lets on. She was fast forwarded through high school, and graduated two years earlier than most people coming out of law school; her grades were spectacular" she said with a smile, as the two still looked at her funny.

"Good grades are one thing, but do you think she's right for the trial?" Gohan questioned, unsure of what to make of the bubbly lawyer.

"Trust me, she's a miracle worker in the court room; she takes on a completely different personality. Normally she's really bubbly, but in the court room she's very serious and plays off the fact that the older lawyers she goes up against think she's young and stupid. She's a brilliant tactician in the court room. I assure you, you'll be incredibly surprised. First time I saw her in the court room and she was taking on one of our cases, she completely blew me away with how professional she is" Bulma said, giving the two a reassuring smile.

"If you say so" Videl said hoping she could trust Bulmas words, but just couldn't picture the bubbly woman as a serious lawyer.

"I promise you sweetie, you will be incredibly surprised" she said with a grin.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alright that's chapter 23! As I said previously it's more filler in preparation for the next few chapters. I promise I will try and get the next one out within decent timing. I hope you all enjoy it and I really, really hope to get reviews.

I made this offer before, but didn't quite work out. So I'm going to try and offer it again. 10 review and I'll do everything in my power to make sure I get chapter 24 out within two weeks time. Sound good?

So please, read and review. I look forward to hearing what you all have to say, and if I receive any e-mail I look forward to chatting with you all.

Hope you enjoyed!


	24. Preliminary Hearing

Hey guys, I've been going through a big rough patch lately. I had a big health scare recently which thankfully turned out to be just a scare and then last week I blew out my knee in my hockey game. So not only have I been down because of health issues but I've also had a lot going on with family problems, and work issues because of my injury. But on the bright side I'm done my lectures and just have seven exams to do. I've written 3 exams so far and have one tonight but I wanted to get this posted as a way of expressing my appreciation to all my fans I wanted to make sure I got this done before the end of my exams. I did try and take my time so I hope it doesn't come off as a little rushed to you all, again this is a lead up. So here you are, read, review and enjoy!

Oh, just as a side note…I'm not really involved with any legal stuff so if what I'm saying doesn't seem right I apologize. But aside from my lack of legal knowledge, please enjoy it otherwise.

Chapter 24: Preliminary Hearing

She flicked on the light switch, lighting up the large bathroom. She walked towards the bathtub and stared blankly at the blood stains that were smeared against the bright white porcelain. She saw her bloody finger prints on the edge of the tub and saw a big smear on the white tile flooring where she had fallen. She shook her head trying to get the images of her cutting her wrists in order to escape her bindings out of her head and got up and walked out of the bathroom again.

Videl walked the empty hallways of the Satan mansion, her light footsteps echoing in the tall, bare hallways. As she walked her mind replayed the events that occurred a week ago. She felt a cool breeze go through the empty halls ways and shivered as she rubbed her bare arms in an attempt to get rid of her goose bumps. She stopped and ran her finger along a deep gash in the wall.

'That must be where he threw the knife' she thought as she continued to walk the hallways of her old home. As she walked she looked at the tile flooring beneath her, she could see blood droplets and smeared footprints on the floor as she continued to walk through it all. 'This is so…bizarre' she thought to herself as she imagined herself frantically running through the house.

She gently walked up to the grand spiral stair case, her mind once again flashing back to the events that occurred a week earlier. She looked at the once beautifully polished steps and noticed blood now stained and tainted its grandeur.

"My blood…" she said quietly as she bent down and gently ran her fingers over the stain. She shook her head and stood back up again and continued on her journey down the steps. She walked in silence, taking the sight of everything in and allowing it all to sink in. She reached the bottom of the steps and looked forwards at the door; she could see smeared, bloody hand prints on the lock at handle, then followed the blood trail on the floor and saw a bloody disconnected phone lying on the ground.

She continued towards the den where it all went down. She stopped in the door way and saw blood stained glass shards on the floor, along with what was left over of the broken lamp. "This is where it all happened" she whispered. She could feel her eyes beginning to water as she pictured each bullet she shot piercing her father's flesh; the smell the gun made when it was fired, the way her father's body jerked as each bullet hit him, it was all coming back to her.

She shook her head, "it had to be done" she whispered as tears slowly trailed down her cheeks.

"It's not over yet" She heard a deep voice say from behind her.

Videl felt her body freeze; she knew she had been alone when she entered the house; no one had been in since the whole incident happened. She recognized the voice, but it wasn't possible.

Before Videl could turn to face the person speaking when she was grabbed from behind, an arm wrapped around her throat and the other arm gripping her head tightly.

"You thought you could beat me with bullets?" a deep voice whispered in her ear, causing chills to run through her.

'It's not possible' she thought frantically as she attempted to free herself from the person who was holding her head and neck tightly. She gripped the large arms that were holding her captive and struggled unsuccessfully to free herself.

"This is over… when you die" the man seethed, his cool breath sending causing the hairs to the back of her neck to rise. "When I snap your neck…this will all be over" the man said with a deep chuckle.

Videl instantly knew that laugh; Hercule was indeed back and had her in a position where she couldn't fight back.

"You die now!" the man screamed as he gripped her neck and pulled hard.

A scream erupted from Videls lips, as her eyes searched around the room frantically, her hands instantly going up to her throat. She felt her breath get caught up in her throat as she moved her head quickly back and forth as she searched the room.

She panted as she attempted to catch her breath as she wiped cold sweat off her brow, "a dream" she muttered, "another damn dream" she said as her eyes welled up, she could feel tears threatening to spill over and run down her cheeks.

She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. She put her head in her knees and allowed the tears to flow freely from her eyes. 'When will these dreams end?' she thought as she sobbed quietly into her knees. She felt completely defenceless, no matter what she tried, she couldn't sleep, her thoughts were continually plagued with what occurred and always ended the same way, with Hercule coming back and attempting to finish what he had started.

She jumped and screamed again as she felt something touch her back. Her body shook in response as she stared into the darkness, frantically attempting to figure out what touched her.

"It's me, relax" she heard Gohan whisper gently, "I heard you scream I just came to check on you" he said in an attempt to calm her.

"I'm sorry" she whispered in a shaky voice, tears now falling freely down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry…I just…he keeps…I don't know anymore" she sobbed as she covered her face.

"Don't apologize, it's alright" he whispered as he rubbed her back gently, only to feel her sobs intensify.

She felt Gohan come closer and pick her up gently and simply lifted her off the bed. He carried her silently into his room and laid her gently down on the bed and got in on the other side. "For the next few nights, I want you to sleep in here alright? You have nightmares when you're alone; you sleep when you're here. I want you to get a good night sleep; stay with me" he said quietly as he gave her a hug in an attempt to comfort her.

"I'm sorry" she whispered again as she quickly wiped the tears off her face.

"Don't apologize, I just want you to sleep alright?" he whispered as he gently ran his finger through her hair and held her close. "I'll protect you, I promise" he whispered, feeling her body relax now in his arms.

"You're going to get sick of me" she whispered in a defeated tone.

"Shut up" he whispered jokingly, smiling as he felt as laugh gently against his chest.

"Good night" he whispered gently as he kissed the top of her head, still running her hands through her hair.

"Night" she whispered, realizing there was no point in fighting him. She allowed her body to give in to his calming nature and allowed sleep to slowly overcome her.

"Gohan?" she questioned quietly.

"Yea hun?" he questioned back.

"I love you so much" she whispered as she as she covered a yawn. Something about laying with Gohan just made her feel so comfortable and safe, she has never had any trouble falling asleep when she was in Gohans arms.

"I love you too" he said quietly as he pulled her closer to his body and kissed to top of his forehead. "Now get some sleep, you've got a big day tomorrow" he whispered, rubbing her back gently.

She nodded in response and relaxed completely into his arms in an attempt to welcome sleep. Gohan continued to hold her closely and ran his hand through her hair until he was sure she had fallen asleep.

'Poor Videl…I hope these nightmares will stop bothering her soon' he thought to himself as he slowly let himself relax, making sure to keep Videl as comfortable as possible before he even thought about falling asleep again. Finally, after about a half an hour of letting his thoughts wonder, he allowed himself to fall asleep.

~*~ The Next Morning~*~

Gohan yawned as he felt himself beginning to awaken. His eyes slowly opened and adapted to the light of the room and lazily cast a glance at the clock and noticed it was almost noon. He looked over to his side and noticed that Videl was still sound asleep, curled up beside him. He stared at the ceiling and debated back and forth whether or not he wanted to get up and finally decided that he would wake up and let Videl sleep a little longer before they go to court.

He kissed Videls forehead and then quietly got up from the bed and made his way to the bathroom. When he was there he splashed water on his face to wake himself up and stared blankly at his reflection as he patted his face dry with the plush towel.

He quietly padded out of the room and cast a glance back quickly at Videl and then exited the room silently. He walked silently down the hallways, as he approached the family room he could hear bickering between Trunks and a female.

"Trunks, when can I play again?" he heard Goten whine.

"Cool it Goten, I've just got to show her how it's done" an annoyed Trunks replied.

Gohan, curious as to what the two boys were talking about moved to the doorway and cocked his eyebrow at the scene in front of him.

He saw Trunks making quick movements on what appeared to be the dance, dance revolution game and a woman in a skirt and a fancy, shapely button up shirt playing with him. He gave the woman a weird look as he attempted to figure it out; her hair was in a high ponytail and her high heels were placed on the floor beside the game.

"Is…that…Karie?" he questioned quietly as he took another step forward.

"Face it kiddo you can't beat a pro!" Karie exclaimed as she moved her whole body to the music coming from the TV, instead of just moving her feet like Trunks was.

"Ha-ha I win again!" Karie exclaimed as she jumped up and down in excitement.

"You got lucky" Trunks muttered as he gave Karie a glare.

"I could beat you with my high heels on buddy" Karie said as she leaned down to his level and returned the glare.

"So could I!" Trunks exclaimed.

"Put up or shut up little man" Karie said as she handed him the four inch heels. Trunks gave them a funny look and then put them on the floor and stepped into them and attempted to steady himself.

A heavy sigh could be heard from the corner of the room, "Sweetie, don't let your father see you in those shoes" Bulma said as she walked into the room after watching her son play with her lawyer.

"Hey, I walk pretty well in these" Trunks commented as he took a few wobbly steps forwards until he was steady on his feet. "You have really tiny feet" he mused as he turned the game on and attempted to dance in the shoes.

"Trunks, I don't know what your father would do if he saw you in those" she said as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Dad's just jealous he can't do this, same with I bet you can't do this mom because your gut is in the way" he stated as he concentrated on matching the steps.

"What did you just say?" Bulma seethed as she glared at the back of her sons head.

"Dad told me you have trouble doing things because of your gut" he stated simply, again focusing on the dance moves.

"You mom doesn't have a gut little man. For a woman whose eggo is preggo, she looks mighty damn fine" she said as she gave Bulma a wink, earning a smile.

"What does eggos have to do with anything?" Goten questioned from his slouched spot on the couch.

"Uhh…I'll explain when you're older" Karie said as she gave Bulma a smile, successfully averting a mood swing from Bulma.

Gohan then walked into the room and made his presence known. "Trunks, your dad would die if he saw you dancing in heels" he said with a light laugh as Goten jumped up to greet his brother with a hug.

"You look tired" Karie mused as she observed Gohan from her spot near Bulma.

Bulma gave a sad look, "had to wake up again huh?" she questioned quietly as Gohan nodded. She then motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen and Karie followed the two, curious to see where this is going.

Gohan sat down on a chair and heaved a heavy sigh as his mother came up to him. "Sweetie, I'm proud of you" she said with a small smile and rubbed his back in a comforting manor.

"I didn't ask this time what this dream was about" he said quietly as he took in a deep inhale. "I was sleeping and then I woke up and couldn't understand it, and then I heard Videl start screaming and knew she had another nightmare. So I went into her room and didn't even really say anything, I just picked her up and brought her into my room so she could sleep. She sleeps better when she's in my room for some reason" he said as Chi Chi brought him a glass of orange juice.

"That's so romantic" Karie said with a blissful sigh as the three other people in the room gave her a funny look. "Oh please you're all in happy relationships, where I remain single. I can dream, can I not?" she questioned as she returned their funny look.

"I know it was about Hercule" Gohan said quietly.

"Sweetie I'm sure these nightmares will stop soon, it's perfectly normal with post traumatic stress disorder" Bulma said offering a sympathetic smile as she absentmindedly rubbed her belly.

"As bad as it may sound, this actually works well in our favour" she said as Gohan gave her a dirty look. "Calm down" she said as she waved her hands defensively in front of her, "you be straight trippin' boo" she said.

Gohan gave her a weird look, "…what?" he questioned as he attempted to understand what this weird lawyer was saying.

"This works in our favour. As awful as it is, if they do an exam on her, this will show she is psychologically effected by what occurred, proving she's not a psychopathic killer, but indeed an abuse victim who was pushed to the point where killing her assailant was the only way she could save herself. We've got this in the bag" she said with a smile. She looked over at Bulma and put her hand on her large belly.

"Karie…what are you-" she was cut off by Karie shushing her.

"I feel kicking, that's a sign. We're going to kick their ass!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Gohan stared blankly at the young lawyer who pumped her fist in the air in excitement, he was seriously beginning to have his doubts about Karie, far as he could tell she seemed a little eccentric and didn't really show any typical lawyer qualities you'd expect to see. He tried to have confidence in the fact that Bulma said she was her best lawyer, but he was seriously having his doubts

"Oh before I forget, I sent a copy of that new year's video to the prosecution as evidence of Hercules abuse. Gohan if they ask to question Saiyaman we're going to tell them that Saiyaman and the gold fighter are the same person…I'll make sure the gold fighter and you don't speak on the same day so we can avoid them catching on to your super abilities" Karie stated as she got up and grabbed herself a glass of juice. "I saw what you did for her…I cried a little, I wish I could have a superhero boyfriend" she said with a sigh.

Gohan spat his juice out on the table, "you know my secret?" he questioned loudly as Bulma gave him a dirty look for spitting on her counter.

"One time I ruffled Vegetas hair and called him 'little man' and he freaked out and went super saiyan on me. From then I've seen Trunks and Goten do it in the past, and that gorgeous father of yours as well. When I saw you in the news I just assumed you were associated with Bulmas core group" she said with a smile as she took a sip from her glass. "Sorry buddy" she said, again flashing a smile.

"Wow…you must really trust her" Gohan mused as he stared at Bulma.

"With my life" she said as she received a thumb up from Karie as she proceeded to chug her orange juice.

"That's some might fine juice Mrs. Son" Karie said as she placed her cup in the washing machine and wiped her mouth off on her forearm. "Gohan, while we've got some time I just wanted to brief you on questions the prosecution might ask you during cross examination" Karie said, moving to sit across from Gohan.

"Alright, they can't be that hard can they?" Gohan questioned as Karie shook her head.

"The questions aren't hard at all, but you've got to watch your wording; they're going to look for every way to manipulate it. Be clear and precise and only answer the questions asked, don't go into details unless they ask you to elaborate. For instance, he may ask you when you first thought Videl may have an abusive home life. Don't tell them you never noticed it much, they'll argue then Hercule wasn't abusive, and don't mention how bruised Videl can get when fighting crime because they'll use that as a scape-goat. If they ask you that question you should say something like about two years ago around Christmas I noticed she had a large black eye, and her behaviour and when you questioned her she seemed distance and unwilling to answer. Then if they press further you tell them Videl has always been open about injuries she received while fighting crime and even took pride in them, but now she was being distant and even a little depressed. Something like that alright?" she questioned as Gohan nodded slowly.

"Yea, I think I get it" he said quietly.

"Alright good. They'll probably ask how long you've known Videl, what led you to believe she was being abused, why she moved in; boring stuff like that" she mused as she grabbed a large green apple out of the bowl in the middle of the table.

"I love apples" she mused as she stared at the apple she had just taken a bite into.

Gohan bit his lip as he cast a worrisome glance at Bulma, "when do we need to leave?" He asked, trying to calm his disbelief in Karie.

"About an hour, I just came over early. Anyways, I'm gonna go show those kids how you dance, so if you'll excuse me, I'll come back in a while. Oh Gohan, you may not want to let Videl sleep too much longer, she should try and make herself look professional. That's why I did my laundry last night" Karie said with a wink as she walked out of the room to go and join Trunks and Goten.

"She seems nice" Chi Chi mused as she watched Karie's small frame exit the spacious kitchen.

"Bulma…I'm having my doubts about her" he said quietly, making sure Karie wouldn't hear him.

Bulma gave a small smile, "Gohan, I know you don't see it now because you're stressed out, but Karie is actually a lot like Videl. I'm not just saying that they're actually a lot alike, I really do mean it. I've had a few heart to hearts with Karie, she may not have had the same kind of abuse that Videl has gone through, but she has lived an abused life, and was also on the verge on an eating disorder, she still has lapses, but anyways. Karie just lets her more childish side come out once in a while because she never got a proper childhood. But I assure you sweetie, she's going to take you by surprise, she's a hell of a lot smarter then she acts sometimes and I'm completely confident in her abilities to win this case" Bulma said, as she rubbed his hand gently in an attempt to provide reassurance.

"Gohan I think you should trust her, even just seeing her talking with you briefly you can tell she's got a lot of determination in her eyes, and she is actually a lot like Videl. Have faith sweetie, just have faith" She said as she gave her son a hug.

"I'll try" he said quietly as he rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"Sweetie, how about you go and wake Videl up and go and shower; separately please, and come back down stairs and you guys can eat something before you go. You've both slept in pretty late" Chi Chi said as she pushed her son in an effort to get him to get up off the chair.

Gohan gave a nod and silently walked out of the room, leaving the two older women to themselves. "You really have that much faith in her?" Chi Chi questioned quietly.

"I do, would I really pick an idiot to protect Videl?" She questioned as Chi Chi shrugged her shoulders.

"I suppose that's true" Chi Chi mused as she mixed an egg batter for her son and Videl.

"I told Videl I would get my best lawyer on the case and I more than assure you that I have. Yes, my other lawyers are more experienced and they are older, but Karie just has a certain spunk to her that makes her stand out. I choose her because she gets so under estimated and she's always risen to the challenge. Besides, she is very much like Videl when you get to know her, I think they could become friends" Bulma said with a smile as she got up and helped Chi Chi in preparing some food.

"I sure hope you're right Bulma" Chi Chi said quietly as she continued to work.

"Uh dude, when have I ever been wrong?" She questioned, earning a weird look from Chi Chi.

"Did you just call me dude?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow at the pregnant woman.

"I must be spending too much time with these young people" Bulma responded with a light laugh.

Before Chi Chi could respond to her friends comment, a yell erupted from the living room.

"Woman fix your boy!" Vegeta screamed from the living room.

Bulma heaved a sigh, "Trunks, I told you not to let your father see you in high heeled shoes" Bulma yelled from her spot in the kitchen, earning a laugh from Chi Chi.

"That's it boy, we're training" Vegeta yelled angrily.

"Ugh great, he's going to be in a good mood all day" Bulma muttered, shaking her head as Chi Chi continued to laugh.

~*~ Elsewhere~*~

Videl was still sleeping soundly in Gohans bed. Gohan gave a small smile at how peaceful she looked but wondered whether she was really just having a nightmare again and not showing it outwardly. He felt awful not being able to stop these nightmares for her, he felt it was her job to protect her and now it was as though herself conscious was bullying her and there was nothing he could do to help her. He felt helpless.

He hated the thought of disturbing her, but knew she really should get ready for court soon and that she should eat something ahead of time. He slowly crawled onto the bed and wrapped an arm around her and gently kissed her forehead. He watched as she slowly started to stir.

"Morning" she mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the natural light pouring into the room.

Gohan gave a small laugh, "I wouldn't quite say it's morning, more like good after noon" he said, as he earned a funny look.

"Afternoon?" she questioned quietly as she leaned up and rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them.

"Yep, we have to leave in like an hour to go to court, I was told to go wake you so you could eat and get ready" Gohan said as Videls eyes opened wide.

"Holy crap, I can't believe I slept in so late" she said, now feeling fully awake.

"It's understandable with the nights you've been having. Now you better hurry, I'm going to go shower now so you can take your shower, then we'll met up in 15 for something to eat, sound good?" he questioned as he helped pull her to her feet.

She gave him a nod, "you got it" she said as she leaned up and gave him a peck on the lips and quietly left his room so she could go and shower in hers.

Videl walked numbly into her bathroom as she turned the water on, making sure it was nice and hot, stripped and silently stepped in. Her thoughts swirled around the concept of being tried for second degree murder. She kept trying to convince herself that it was in self defence, as everyone kept telling her, but in the back of her mind, something continuously called her a murderer.

She knew if she was going to overcome this she knew she had to try and shake these negative thoughts out of her head. 'Bulma wouldn't give me an idiot for a lawyer, obviously there's more to Karie then I can see' she thought to herself as she tried to calm the knot in her stomach.

As she massaged shampoo into her hair she shook her head gently, she knew she had to try and get these negative thoughts out of her head, so she did as she usually does, she started singing. She hummed the tune to the song that was stuck in her head at that particular moment and then allowed the words to leave her lips.

I leave the gas on  
Walk the allies in the dark  
Sleep with candles burning  
I leave the door unlocked  
I'm weaving a rope and  
Running all the red lights  
Did I get your attention  
Cause I'm sending all the signs and  
The clock is ticking  
and I'll be giving my 2 weeks

She inhaled deeply as she closed her eyes and allowed the water to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. She continued to hum as she worked conditioner into her hair then once again started singing as she allowed the hot water to wash over her body.

Pick your favourite shade of black  
You'd best prepare a speech  
Say something funny  
Say something sweet  
But don't say that you loved me

She smiled as she sang, she loved singing such a sad song, and she felt it mirrored her mood. As hard it was to accept, she felt it almost mirrored the relationship she had with her father and the amount of time growing up she thought suicide would have been the only way to escape her father.

Cause I'm still breathing  
Though we've been dead for awhile  
This sickness has no cure  
We're goin down for sure  
Already lost a grip  
Best abandon ship

She gave a small smile, she was still breathing, and she couldn't believe that she was. She thought of all she had overcome and allowed her small smile to grow a little. Gohans words of courage rang through her mind as she made sure she had rinsed any remaining conditioner and soap off of her and hummed the rest of the song as she wrapped a towel around her small frame and wrapped her hair into a towel.

She grabbed her mascara and applied it lightly to her already dark, long lashes, simply to emphasize them. She stared at her reflection blankly and noted she looked a little pale, realizing just how big a toll the recent events had taken on her. She shook her head lightly and stepped out of the bathroom into her bedroom. She went through her closet and decided to go for a simple, but classy look; she grabbed a navy blue pencil skirt and a short sleeved white button up, with matching navy blue jacket.

She quickly got dressed and left her hair in the towel as she walked out of the room. She saw Gohan completely ready dressed in black dress slacks and a white button up shirt with a dark tie.

"You look great" Gohan said with a smile as he came and embraced her, "the towel is a nice touch" he said with a laugh.

"Well thank you darling, ha-ha yea well my hair isn't completely dry yet so I'll get something to eat and then I'll go dry it before we leave" she said as she grabbed Gohans hand and walked with him towards the kitchen.

"So what are your thoughts on Karie?" Gohan questioned as they walked the long hallways of the Briefs mansion.

"I'm not sure, I'm a little sceptical, but Bulma said she's putting her best girl on the job. I think there may be more than meets the eye to her. She seems kinda odd…but I suppose I'm the same way when you first get to know me. I feel like I can relate to her in a way…I'm hoping Bulma isn't wrong about her" she said as she stared blankly in front of her. "Why do you ask?"

"I can't make a decision on her; she seems so…out there, then other times she seems so focused and determined. Her eyes show this playful innocence but this hard determination at the same time; it's weird. Bulma said one of the reasons she picked her was because she felt you two could relate to each other well" he said, earning a look from Videl.

"Why would she say that?" she asked curiously.

"Apparently Karie had a rough childhood and has lived a life of abuse, and also has been on the verge of an eating disorder as a result. Now that I kind of think of it, I guess I can see similarities between her actions, and your own" He mused.

"I hope Bulma is right about her" Videl said quietly, earning a squeeze from Gohans hand.

"Bulma is always right" he said with a small smile.

They reached the kitchen and were about to say to hello to everybody but their interests were brought to the voice coming from the room beside the kitchen.

"Goten you have the hips of a dancer!" they heard Karie exclaim.

Intrigued, they moved to the door and saw that Karie and Goten were still play dance, dance revolution. "Now, put your hip movements into the foot movements and you'll be a pro" she said as she pushed the button and a beat started playing loudly in the room.

"Once you get the movements down add the words, then you're an official super star" she said as she moved her hips and arms to the beat of the music playing and then started belting out a song.

Hey Pretty Baby With The  
High Heels On  
You Give Me Fever  
Like I've Never, Ever Known  
You're Just A Product Of  
Loveliness

"Your turn Goten!" she shouted as Goten jumped in.

I Like The Groove Of  
Your Walk,  
Your Talk, Your Dress  
I Feel Your Fever  
From Miles Around  
I'll Pick You Up In My Car  
And We'll Paint The Town

After Goten sang that part, the two joined together in singing and belted out the next few lines together.

Just Kiss Me Baby  
And Tell Me Twice  
That You're The One For Me

Goten sang the main lines for the next part and Karie sang the backup lines

The Way You Make Me Feel  
(The Way You Make Me Feel)  
You Really Turn Me On  
(You Really Turn Me On)  
You Knock Me Off Of My Feet  
(You Knock Me Off Of My Feet)  
My Lonely Days Are Gone  
(My Lonely Days Are Gone)

Karie paused the music and gave Goten a high-five. "Nice work little dude!" she exclaimed as Goten beamed with pride. "How'd you get so good at singing and dancing?" she questioned, taking her high heels off again.

Goten allowed his smile to grow, "I dance with Videl all the time at home. It's kinda stupid to try and ignore her because she'll just make you sing anyways. I've actually sung this song before with Videl; she's a really good singer" he said happily.

"Wow…" Gohan said from their spot at the door frame, "she really is a lot like you; I've seen you do that exact same dance" he said in an amused voice.

Videl gave a laugh, "Goten you're a natural!" she exclaimed drawing the attention from Karie and Goten, earning a grin from both.

"I hear you're quite the dancer" Karie said as she turned the game system off.

"I do what I can" Videl said with a shrug and a small smile.

"We'll have to do a duet sometime" Karie said with a wink as she walked towards them, "but for now…mangi, mangi!" she exclaimed, moving her hands to encourage them to go into the kitchen.

"What does mangi mean?" Goten questioned in a confused voice.

"It mean eat in Italian, which these two should do then we can go to the court house" Karie said as Gohan gave her a nod and the two moved to the kitchen and started to eat the delicious food that his mother had prepared for them previously.

"Oh Videl," Karie called drawing Videls attention, "That towel on the head look? I'm a little turned on" she said with a wink causing Videl to laugh

"My hair takes awhile to dry and if I try and blow dry it too soon it just looks so…" Videl trailed off trying to think of the best adjective to use.

"Frumpy?" Karie suggested receiving a nod from Videl, "my hair is the same way and it takes forever to dry either way" she said as she once again motioned for Videl to go into the kitchen and start eating.

Everyone ate in relative silence, Karie reviewed her notes while Bulma helped Chi Chi with cleaning and Gohan and Videl simply enjoyed the silence while eating.

"Where is everybody?" Videl questioned after swallowing her food.

"Around I guess. I'm not sure what everyone is doing. I know your mom and Goku and a few others were talking about going to the pool, Vegeta took Trunks to train because he was dancing in high heels, I think 18 wanted to go shopping and brought Krillin and Marron…so yea, they're just off keeping themselves occupied I guess" Bulma mused earning a funny look from Videl.

"Wait…why was Trunks dancing in high heels, better yet, where did he get them?" she questioned in an amused tone.

"I can answer that," Karie answered before Bulma got the chance, "I kept beating him at DDR and he told me I was lucky and I told him I could beat him with my high heels on. Attempting to prove me wrong he said he could as well…so I simply told him to put up or shut up…and then Vegeta caught him" she said, laughing as she replayed the images in her head again.

"Oh…alright then" Videl said, covering a laugh as she took another bite from her pancakes.

"Videl, do you mind if I come with you three to the court house today?" Bulma questioned.

"No, that's fine" Videl said quietly. After Videl answered Bulma the room filled with a tense silence, no one was sure of what to say. Shortly after the meal was over and the couple was clearing the mountain of dishes from the table.

"Let's get this over with" Videl muttered as Karie gave her a grin.

"Cheer up sunshine, I think with that towel turban going on you'll win them over" she said as she gave Videl a wink.

"Ha…my bad I'll be back in a few minutes" Videl said as she ran out of the room, pulling the towel off her head as she moved up the stairs. True to her word five minutes later she ran back into the room with high heels in hand. "Ok…now let's get this over with" she said sheepishly as they made their way to the door.

She leaned her hand against Gohan and braced herself as she put the heels on her small feet. She was about to say something but was caught up in a tight embrace.

"You just remember you're innocent sweetie, don't you forget it" Chi Chi said as she gripped Videl tightly.

"Chi…I…breathe" she stuttered out as she felt the air being squeezed out of her.

"My bad" she said sheepishly as she gave Videl a gentler hug, "good luck hun" she said as she gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Chi, can you tell my mom I'm gone whenever you see her please?" She said as she watched Gohan give his mom a hug.

"No worry Mrs. S we'll be back soon" Karie said as she gave Chi Chi a salute and a smile as she opened the door. "Innocent people…away!" She yelled as she pointed her finger out the open door and ran outside.

"Gohan…I'm scared" Videl whispered.

"I know sweetie…me too" Gohan said as he heaved a sigh.

"Just go!" Chi Chi said as she gave the two a push out of the door and closed it behind them.

Videl bit her lip as she watched the lawyer move towards the limo. As Karie walked down the driveway she was pointing her pointer finger on each hand in the air and danced as she sang loudly.

"I'm walking on sunshine ohh I'm walking on sunshine!" she sang loudly as she laughed a little and stopped mid walk and struck a pose. "And don't it feel good!" She yelled as she did her attempt at a disco pose and laughed as she walked quietly to the limo doors.

"Maybe I was wrong about her" Videl muttered as she heaved a sigh and quickened her pace towards the limo.

The ride to the court house was almost in complete silence. After Karie's dancing to the car, Videl had no idea what to make of her, she though Karie was a little weird, but at the same time she completely envied her for being so care free and was even a little jealous.

As they got neared the court house, Karie sensing the tension made light conversation. "So Videl, I heard you played hockey before, what position?" she questioned, effectively breaking the silence.

"I played centre, or I doubled as defence" Videl replied quietly.

"That's pretty awesome, I play goalie. What level did you play?" she questioned again.

"I played rep, highest I got up to was A so I guess I was alright" she responded once again.

"You should come out with us sometime. My team is always short players, but they're a great group of girls!" Karie said excitedly, happy at being with this potential prospect.

"I don't know…it was a long time ago I played" Videl replied hesitantly.

"Well, we play shinny every Sunday morning, you should come out sometime. Gohan you're welcome to come as well" Karie said flashing the two another smile.

"We'll think about it" Videl said, giving the lawyer a small smile in return. A large building quickly came into view with a statue of a blindfolded woman holding a scale in her hand standing proudly in the centre of a wide set of stairs leading up to the court house doors.

"Alright, let's do this thing" Karie said as they reached the court house. Karie opened the door and motioned for everyone to follow her.

They walked silently up the stairs, Gohan and Videl held hands as they walked up the stairs. She felt Gohan give Videl a reassuring squeeze of her hand. Videl gave Gohan a smile and was about to speak but was caught off guard by Karie speaking.

"Hello Drew" She said in a stern tone of voice.

The couple arched an eyebrow in surprise, in the two days that they've known this woman they've never heard her voice so stern, it's always been so bubbly, this definitely caught their interest.

"Ah Karie how are you" A man in a suit replied.

"Delightful, and you?" she replied drily as she started as her long nails in uninterested.

"Just peachy. You're looking well" he replied in a smug tone.

"I am, aren't I?" she replied as she smoothed out her a crease on her shirt.

Videl was more than confused, twenty minutes ago this woman was doing the disco and singing how she was walking on sunshine as she made her way to the car, and now she was being sharp and to the point with this man now named Drew. She took a glance at him, he was cute; he was about six feet tall, brown messy hair; he gave Karie a smug grin, one crooked tooth was prominent in his smile, Karie rolled her eyes and flipped her pony tail off her shoulder as Drew smiled at her.

"Been awhile darling" He said as he gave her a wink.

"Yea I definitely it has, it's too bad…I was hoping it would be longer" Karie said giving her best smile.

"Awh I thought we buried the hatchet" Drew said giving her another smile.

"Only if I get a clear shot to your groin baby; another pathetic attempt to boost your career. Poor guy, I guess some of us just get all the luck" Karie said as she gave him a big wink, earning an unimpressed look from Drew.

"You got lucky" he muttered as he gave Karie a dirty look.

"And you didn't, which is why you're still taking shots in the dark" she said smiling sweetly; seeming to know it was only making him more annoyed.

"You don't stand a chance" Drew said, quickly changing the subject.

"That's funny…I think I said that to you not long ago" Karie mused.

"Keep this attitude out of my court room please" a tall thin woman said as she brushed a strand of short red hair out of her face.

"Judge Novak, Drew and I were just-" Karie was cut off by the tall woman.

"Bickering; I think you should just use that passion in the court room" The woman said as she motioned for the group the follow them.

"What the hell just happened?" Videl questioned. She realized that this must be the judge Karie had mentioned earlier. She stood about 5'9 with small heels on. She had a long thin frame, with plain features and little make up. She had dark red hair framing her slim face; she wore a tight pant suit and gripped a coffee her in hand as she started making her way up the stairs with the two lawyers in tow.

"I had been curious if this was the guy she had been talking about" Bulma said as she shook her head, drawing the attention of Gohan and Videl. "Apparently the two of them dated for awhile; he's a few years older than her. Back when they were in school, he was a big party guy and dumped Karie because she wouldn't get high or get drunk. Karie told me she always really liked him, but the fact that those were his reasoning's for breaking up with her she never forgave him…and here they are" She said, leaving Gohan and Videl with surprised faces.

"Wow…I pictured Karie as a total party girl" Gohan said as the small group walked behind the lawyers', speaking in hushed voice.

"Not at all, Karie is actually very shy…I know I was surprised too, she's been getting over it since being on my team. But she's not a party girl at all; she's very much a homebody who has never been drunk and or high. He, at the time, thought she was a young attractive party girl, but she wasn't a party girl at all. She told me she believed that he broke up with her because she would have forced him to grow up unintentionally and challenged him intellectually; he likes them not so intelligent apparently" Bulma whispered, completely shocking the two.

"Wait…so Karie is smarter than the city's district attorney?" Gohan questioned surprise clearly evident in his voice. The followed the professionals as they stepped into the large court house and followed them down a large hallway.

"Told you she doesn't get the credit she deserves" Bulma said as they noticed that the lawyers and the judge stopping in front of large wooden doors.

The tall woman opened the doors and motioned for everyone to step into her office. Everyone filed into the office and sat down silently. Videl stared at the city's DA; he seemed so cocky and smug. Videl mused on the information that she had just been told by Bulma. It blew her away that Karie was smarter than the district attorney and now she was more than curious to see if this bubbly girl could really crack down. She was quickly jarred out of her thought as the judge started speaking.

"Hello everyone, for those of you who don't know I am judge Casey Novak, I will be presiding over this trial" She said as she extender her hand and greeted Bulma, Gohan and Videl.

"Miss Satan I'm sorry for your loss. Mister Bailey, please state your requests" she said as she leaned back in her plush leather chair.

"Your honour, we propose that Miss Satan be put in jail until the trial and undergo a psychiatric evaluation to prove that she was in good conscious mind when she brutally murdered our wondrous mayor" Drew said.

Videl felt as though her stomach jumped into her throat and was at a loss of words when Karie quickly piped up.

"Your honour Miss Satan is a victim, not a brutal killer, we have more than enough sufficient information to prove many times over that Mister Satan, although the mayor had a past of violence and the prosecution is more than aware of this. She is a victim, she's been having nightmares of how her father tried to murder her…your honour he tried to slit her throat, how can the prosecution even attempt to declare my client a murderer and demonize her. My client is also in no way a flight risk so there's no reason for her to be placed in jail" Karie said quickly and sternly.

Videl couldn't help but be surprised at how quickly Karie jumped to her defence, she was completely taken back by the seriousness in her tone of voice; maybe there as more to her then she originally though.

"Mister Bailey, I agree with Miss Scollick, I do not believe for an instant that Miss Satan is a flight risk. I do agree I feel she should go to a psychiatric exam; get the full facts and details before you make faulty accusations" Judge Novak said as she eyed the two lawyers'.

"Your honour, with all due respect only a psychopathic killer would want to murder a wondrous man like Hercule-" Drew was quickly cut off by Karie.

"The prosecution is attempting to play off Hercules image and glorify him without bringing forth any fact to support his claims" She said as she gave Drew a glare.

"I agree with Miss Scollick, Mister bailey, I have reviewed the evidence and the fact that you're imply that I haven't and that I'm allowing the media to influence my decision is both appalling and insulting" Judge Novak said as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear.

"My apology your honour; however Miss Satan is known for her violent behaviour-" he was once again cut off.

"She's known for defending those who cannot defend themselves. There are absolutely no accounts of my client using excessive force against anyone while defending the public. Your honour my client is not a bad person and she's been through a more then traumatic event, again, and does not deserve to have the prosecution try and bully her and try and make her into a monster" Karie said, earning a glare from Drew.

"I agree, Mister Bailey, unless you have sufficient evidence to support the claim of Miss Satan's violent behaviour, I strongly suggest that you bite your tongue. From everything I have reviewed, you do not have sufficient evidence to make that claim. Do not make me repeat that" she said as Drew bit his lip and inhaled deeply to try and calm himself down.

"Your honour, how can we trust the words of the defendants client, the evidence has been tampered with by the defendants" he stated, catching Karie off guard.

"Mr Baileys, you better have evidence to support this claim" The judge said sternly.

"They have hospital responds saying Videl suffered extensive injuries, including a twisted ankle, a black eye, a swollen knee and a fractured wrist. She was only discharged a few days ago and yet here she is clearly in perfect health" He said pointing to Videl to prove his point.

"Your honour we have signed documentation from both the hospital and Mrs. Briefs showing she has been working on a highly advanced regeneration chamber which allows for an incredibly speedy recovery. We are more than willing to show these documents to the prosecution and allow them to test out Mrs Brief's ingenious invention" Karie stated, surprising everyone in the room.

"She's lying" Drew said nonchalantly

"Mister Bailey I suggest you conduct yourself in a more proper manor while attempting to argue your case" Judge Novak said sternly, seeming to grow annoyed with Drew's attempts to win her favour.

"Yes your honour" he said quietly.

"Although I am aware of Mrs Brief's technological advances in the medical field, I would like to see these documents to verify Miss Scollick's statement." She said as both lawyers' nodded in response. She took a sip of coffee from her glass and heaved a sigh.

"Although I feel this is an open and shut case, I do fear for Miss Satan's life if this trial were not to be followed through. I feel as though the truth should be exposed in order to ensure Videls safety. We will hold the trial a week from now. Miss Scollick your client is required to endure a psychiatric exam; not only to check if she was in the right state of mind at the time, but also because I want to make sure your client is emotionally stable enough to go through with this trial" Judge Novak said as she once again leaned back in her plush chair.

"We are more than happy to have Videl undergo an exam and I will fax the hospital documents to your office as soon as we return to Mrs Brief's residence" Karie said confidently.

"Your honour, I think you're showing the defendant's client too much compassion; a hero was murdered, and it should not go unpunished" Drew interjected quickly.

"As well as a hero was brutally beaten to the point of near death; your honour the prosecution is neglecting the evidence and is attempting to over play Hercules career in order to win over your favour" Karie said quickly.

"Mister Bailey I will repeat myself once more, if you attempt to overplay Mister Satan's career and reputation in the public eye to win over my approval I will throw your case out in an instant." She said as she gave Drew a disapproving look, "we will meet once again in my chambers in a few days and then proceed with the trial a week from today" judge Novak said.

"Your honour-" Drew was once again cut off.

"Mister Bailey, you will respect my ruling; have one of your doctors perform a psychiatric exam on Miss Satan and we will resume discussions later. Do not neglect the evidence and proceed as you would with every other case; don't let Mister Satan's reputation be the only thing used to boost your case." Judge Novak said as she stood up and motioned for the rest of them to follow her act. "I will see you all next week. Mister Bailey, Miss Scollick, we will met in my chambers in a few days." She said as the two lawyers' gave her a nod in response and silently walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind them.

Videl looked at Karie and noticed she wore a smirk on her attractive features; she was clearly satisfied with how that went.

"What kind of deal did you want to make?" He questioned.

Karie snorted in response, "You've got to be kidding me! We are not making any sort of deal; we will take the clear win. You know just as well as I do you don't have enough sufficient evidence to support your claim for second degree murder" she said, standing her ground confidently.

"Alright, don't say we didn't try and offer you a plea bargain" he said as he shook his head for effect. "Your client is a murderer Karie, and you're clearly too stupid to realize that" he said nonchalantly, smirking as he noticed he hit a nerve with Karie.

"Drew, I swear to god you utter one more word about my client without sufficient evidence to support it I promise you I will make sure that the judge knows it and I will also inform her of how you're allowing our past to cloud your judgement and resorting to petty insults to try and intimidate me. I promise Drew, I will have you thrown off this case so fast you won't even get the chance to attempt to utter a petty defence. That won't be much good for boosting your career, eh?" Karie said, giving a glare to Drew that even caught Bulma off guard.

"I will call the doctor who will be responsible for the psychiatric exam when I get back to my office and will let you know when and where your client needs to be for the examination" he said as he gave Karie a dirty look.

"I look forward to it" she said, a smirk gracing her face once again.

There was silence between the two as they stared at each other, and then the two started walking in opposite directions silently, leaving Bulma, Gohan and Vide standing in front of the judge's chambers.

Before either of the three could say something they noticed that Drew was no longer in their sight and Karie was waving to them while standing a few feet away. They stood in awe of what just happened, even Bulma was completely caught off guard by the glare that Karie had managed to give Drew and the way she spoke her words.

Gohan couldn't get past how well Karie stood her ground, all this time she spoke in such a bubbly voice and came off as a little ditzy. He was amazed at how well she composed herself and how well and quickly she articulated and supported her arguments in Videl's defence.

"Hey guys, I've got a wicked craving for chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, let's go get some before we head back to the mansion and like totally pig out. Oh hey, let's do some karaoke or something; I'm in the mood for singing! Videl are you a Katy Perry fan, let's sing one of her songs, maybe hot and cold?" Karie yelled as she excitedly moved to the door of the limo.

Karie quickly turned around, "what are you guys waiting for, let's go!" she exclaimed as she opened the door and motioned eagerly for them to follow her.

Silence once again fell between Bulma, Gohan and Videl. All three were surprised what had just transpired over the short period of time.

"What just happened?" Gohan questioned dumbly.

"Karie… just kicked his ass" Bulma said with a big smile, a look of pride on her face.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Well that is chapter 24 as I said earlier I'm not a law student and I never have been. So if you thought my attempt at writing courtly matters was awful, I do apologize and if you're willing to offer any advice I'd be more than willing to hear it and try and integrate it. Again, I really hope I was too off balance with writing the preliminary hearing and if I was, I apologize.

But other than that I really do hope that you enjoyed my chapter and I really hope I get to hear from those of you who will actually read my chapter. I absolutely love hearing your reviews and suggestions and enjoying know what you all think of my work.

I'm not sure when my next chapter will be out, probably towards the end of April maybe early May. I say this simply because I have three more exams next week and I desperately want to do well on the so I'm going to put all my focus into studying.

But anyways I'll stop babbling. I hope you enjoyed my chapter and please review, I'd love to hear from you all!!


	25. AUTHORS NOTE

I want to apologize to everyone, I do want to continue my story but there has been a lot going on in my life. I'll be honest, I had a cancer scare, and they though I needed knee surgery, then I was having heart problems. About two months ago I was diagnosed with severe depression and wicked anxiety attacks but I didn't go to a doctor for it until about a month ago.

During this time I got better, but a recent development in my family my depression has once again worsened and my anxiety attacks are becoming more frequent. I'll be honest my depression has been taking a real toll on me; I have no energy and as a result have had a complete lack of interest in everything…which as a result is taking its toll on my story.

I do intend to update my story at some point, but I wanted to express my deepest apologies to my fans and I do truly hope you can forgive me. I will do my best to update at some point soon.

I'm so sorry, I do still hope you enjoy my story and when I post my next chapter that you'll want to read it again and review it.

I do promise though, I will update again, I'm not abandoning it, but these misfortunes are taking a dramatic toll on my life.

Thanks for being understanding,

Game Gal


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